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
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
Still, some council members are leery of adding any new revenue-raising fees after the debacle of charging for parking at Balboa Park and the outcry from homeowners over the trash fees.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
In fact, when the Astros had won three straight games with him sidelined, Williams was a bit leery about returning.
—Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for leery
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Jeff Cox, CNBC, 5 Mar. 2026
Irvi’s parents, Lulu and Martín, were leery of his decision.
—Caitlin Dickerson, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
Still, some council members are leery of adding any new revenue-raising fees after the debacle of charging for parking at Balboa Park and the outcry from homeowners over the trash fees.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
In fact, when the Astros had won three straight games with him sidelined, Williams was a bit leery about returning.
—Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 24 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 14 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
leery
adjective
: suspicious sense 2, wary
leery of strangers
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