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
Democrats on the Assembly Judiciary Committee spiked a proposal to cap rent increases last month amid opposition from landlord groups and lawmakers who were leery of interfering with the rental-housing market.
—
Calmatters, Oc Register, 5 Feb. 2026
Where Manteris is leery of the era of DraftKings, Walters believes that PASPA’s fall has fuelled job creation, generated tax revenue, and minimized the criminal element in sports gambling.
—Dan Piepenbring, New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2026
But, league sources said, both were leery of the possibilities.
—Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Some conservatives are leery of reforming ICE and giving Democrats leverage over the agency’s funding.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for leery
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Calmatters, Oc Register, 5 Feb. 2026
Where Manteris is leery of the era of DraftKings, Walters believes that PASPA’s fall has fuelled job creation, generated tax revenue, and minimized the criminal element in sports gambling.
—Dan Piepenbring, New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2026
But, league sources said, both were leery of the possibilities.
—Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Some conservatives are leery of reforming ICE and giving Democrats leverage over the agency’s funding.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 3 Feb. 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 10 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
leery
adjective
: suspicious sense 2, wary
leery of strangers
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