Menacing southern creationist tossed coat aside, unsettling them (8)
I believe the answer is:
sinister
'menacing' is the definition.
(I know that menacing can be written as sinister)
I don't understand how the rest of the clue works.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for sinister that I've seen before include "Threatening - ominous" , "Very unpleasant" , "Suggestive of evil/harm" , ", nun going round home" , "Suggestive of evil, to the left in heraldry" .)