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
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
The picture continues to be of a low-hire, low-fire climate, where companies are both reticent to lay off employees as demand continues to be strong, but also are leery of adding staff amid uncertainty over tariffs, inflation and geopolitics.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 5 Mar. 2026
Irvi’s parents, Lulu and Martín, were leery of his decision.
—Caitlin Dickerson, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for leery
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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
The picture continues to be of a low-hire, low-fire climate, where companies are both reticent to lay off employees as demand continues to be strong, but also are leery of adding staff amid uncertainty over tariffs, inflation and geopolitics.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 5 Mar. 2026
Irvi’s parents, Lulu and Martín, were leery of his decision.
—Caitlin Dickerson, The Atlantic, 3 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 19 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
leery
adjective
: suspicious sense 2, wary
leery of strangers
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