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Glite Dictionary
to settle with

to settle with

22 4.1
To reach an agreement with someone to end a dispute
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : llegar a un acuerdo con
  • I just had a little business to settle with Mr. Gordon.
  • settle with the parties

And Elon Musk had no choice because he felt like there was a gun to his child's head and he had to settle with the SEC even though he didn't want to.

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Examples

  • Patrick decided not to settle with Popov.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • Well, I guess I'll settle with the majority.

    Summertime (1955)

  • Well, it seems that Mr. Rose had a debt to settle with him.

    The Smell of Success (2011)

  • The question is, who is he here to settle with, me or you?

    Shaft's Big Score! (1972)

  • The boss will have to settle with her as well.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • Also, you will have to settle with the Trotta brothers.

    Avanti! (1972)

  • We know we have people running Tether that have broken the laws or at least had to settle with governments.

  • Despite the interest in litigated cases, it is far more common for defendants to settle with the SEC.

    Academic text (2017)

  • Illinois settles with former athletes, ex-coach Tim Beckman.

    Academic text (2016)

  • The couple sued him for defamation, and he settled with them out of court.

Synonyms

to compromise
vsto settle with
215 3.7

To settle a disagreement by each side giving up something

seeks agreement without requiring mutual concessions
to cut a deal
vsto settle with
  • Informal
94 3.5

Make an agreement after talking, often in business or politics

focuses on resolving disputes rather than speedy negotiation
to conclude
vsto settle with
  • Formal
50 3.9

To make a formal agreement with others

is about resolving disagreements and claims not formal closing
to reach an agreement
vsto settle with
35 3.0

Decide together after talking about the terms

is used to resolve disputes or claims specifically
to strike a deal
vsto settle with
20 3.4

To agree with someone after talking about the details

is used to resolve disputes or claims rather than casual bargains
to square up
vsto settle with
  • Informal
3 4.7

Pay someone what you owe or agree to end a disagreement

focuses on making agreement rather than only payment

How Resolved

to resolve
623 3.3
to settle with
22 4.1
to compromise
215 3.7
to negotiate
  • Formal
801 3.7

Surface Forms

settle with infinitive
settled with past
settled with past participle
settling with present participle
settles with third person singular

Morphology

settle + with

The meaning 'to reach an agreement with someone' is directly derivable from combining 'settle' (to resolve or come to terms) with 'with' (indicating the other party). This verb + preposition composition follows a common, compositional pattern in English (and parallels in other languages), so a B1 learner who knows both words should be able to infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Settle with comes from the idea of settle meaning to finish a bill or clear a debt, so people would sit down, sort the problem, and pay or agree to stop the dispute. So, to settle with someone now means 'to reach an agreement' and end a dispute or claim.