variants
or less commonly leary
: suspicious, wary
—often used with of
leery of strangers
She seemed a little leery of the proposal.
Examples of leery in a Sentence
They were leery of their neighbors.
Recent Examples on the Web
Idaho cities leery of state control Support, while bipartisan, wasn’t universal.
—
Mark Dee
march 28, Idaho Statesman, 28 Mar. 2026
Again, be leery of shady characters who prey on people at their most vulnerable.
—Harlan Vaughn, CNBC, 23 Mar. 2026
Despite the kumbaya of last season, many of the moms remain leery of welcoming Demi back into the fold with open arms, and the reunion will be the first big test to see if their fragile peace actually holds.
—Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026
Rising oil prices and leery markets could spook the president into pulling back from the conflict.
—Joel Mathis, TheWeek, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for leery
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Mark Dee
march 28, Idaho Statesman, 28 Mar. 2026
Again, be leery of shady characters who prey on people at their most vulnerable.
—Harlan Vaughn, CNBC, 23 Mar. 2026
Despite the kumbaya of last season, many of the moms remain leery of welcoming Demi back into the fold with open arms, and the reunion will be the first big test to see if their fragile peace actually holds.
—Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026
Rising oil prices and leery markets could spook the president into pulling back from the conflict.
—Joel Mathis, TheWeek, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for leery
Cite this Entry
“Leery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leery. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
leery
adjective
: suspicious sense 2, wary
leery of strangers
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