How to Use settle for in a Sentence

settle for

phrase
  • Don’t stress too much about sheets or string lights, but don’t settle for a sterile room, either.
    — The Spruce, 28 July 2026
  • Balance is key, so settle for one to two large accessories and work around that.
    — Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 19 July 2026
  • He his 3-iron (instead of a mid-iron) into the bunker and had to settle for par.
    — ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Designing a kid-friendly room no longer means settling for decor that looks childish.
    — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 29 July 2026
  • Wilson birdied the par-5 17th to give himself a chance but had to settle for a par.
    — ABC News, 13 July 2026
  • The parties settled for an undisclosed sum in 57% of the cases.
    — Melody Petersen, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026
  • Gone are the days of settling for too-hot trousers that dig in the name of office-appropriate attire.
    — Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 14 July 2026
  • In the end, Rhaenyra must settle for becoming queen simply by dint of doing the job.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 July 2026
  • But Zay’s appetite is far too hearty to settle for siloed genre worship or nostalgia bait.
    — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 29 July 2026
  • England, for example, failed to breach Ghana in the group stage and had to settle for a goalless draw.
    — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 1 July 2026
  • Only two of her tracks that have appeared on the roster have settled for lower peak positions.
    — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The Prince of Wales will have to settle for a podcast appearance instead.
    — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 3 July 2026
  • Sophia Schubert, the 54-hole leader, had to settle for a 71 and finished fourth.
    — ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Summer is heating up and so are our homes—but do Southerners need to simply settle for sky-high energy bills?
    — Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 23 July 2026
  • But instead of settling for a deflating draw, Boise flipped the switch, starting attacking again and emerged with all three points.
    — Idaho Statesman, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Instead of his first career multi-homer game, Ramos settled for an RBI triple.
    — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 2 July 2026
  • Jeremiah Smith exists, though, so Coleman may have to settle for WR2.
    — Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 31 July 2026
  • Of course, a professional deal hunter like myself won’t settle for the smallest markdowns, no matter how enticing.
    — Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 12 July 2026
  • Collin later settled for the right to march in Marquette Park on Chicago’s South Side.
    — Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2026
  • If all three settle for no more than 25% of the cap, that trio wouldn't be earning much more than Brown and Jayson Tatum combined.
    — Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
  • Second favorite Majestic Oops (Joel Rosario) moved too late and settled for fourth.
    — Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Rather than settle for something else, the Minnesota mom decided to build the furniture herself.
    — Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026
  • By dropping the series finale after an 8-2 win in the opener, the Dodgers settled for a series win instead of sweep.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026
  • Despite their time in camp together and a squad which has been relatively settled for the past two seasons, Uruguay appeared to lack chemistry.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 28 June 2026
  • Minnesota led by 11 points in the first quarter before settling for a 22-21 advantage.
    — CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • But credit Neill for both understanding the assignment and not quite settling for those awed stares of Spielbergian wonder.
    — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2026
  • The contractor had trouble achieving the required precision, so Rashid settled for wooden baseboards.
    — Dean Kaufman, Curbed, 30 June 2026
  • Minnesota led by 11 points early before settling for a 22-21 advantage at the end of the first quarter.
    — Staff, Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Defensive ends Max Llewellyn and David Ojabo split a sack to follow, as the Commanders settled for a field goal.
    — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Instead of settling for Manichaean us-versus-them categories, movements beset on both sides need to clearly define their own worldview, their own values, their own set of plans.
    — David Brooks, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'settle for.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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