precariously

adverb

pre·​car·​i·​ous·​ly pri-ˈker-ē-əs-lē How to pronounce precariously (audio)
: in a precarious manner
These birds suspend their nests precariously among fine twigs …Michael Hansell
… the privilege of a tiny, precariously poised minority.Derek Bickerton
Waiters in white shirts and black vests roamed, trays balanced precariously but with utmost precision.Noah Charney
… it's now balancing precariously on the brink of extinction and has become the first-ever bumblebee to be declared endangered in the US.Laura Dennison

Examples of precariously in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Sweet Martha’s cookies are baked to order, then served warm in precariously tall stacks, teetering out of a paper cup, or, better yet, the stand’s signature plastic bucket, which gets loaded with about four dozen cookies despite fitting only three dozen. Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025 Over in the automotive realm, V10 engines are hanging precariously by the thinnest sliver of a frayed thread thanks largely to boutique track car builders like Rodin and Red Bull. New Atlas, 12 Aug. 2025 On Friday, at Hole No. 3, Henley found his ball resting precariously on the edge of the water at TPC Southwind. Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Aug. 2025 The song arrives with a particularly idyllic music video that depicts Miller waking up in a Volkswagen bus that’s precariously perched on stilts high above the ground. Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for precariously

Word History

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of precariously was in 1646

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Cite this Entry

“Precariously.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precariously. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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