warier; wariest
: marked by keen caution, cunning, and watchfulness especially in detecting and escaping danger
Examples of wary in a Sentence
Great critics are sometimes wary of great authors. Eliot and Pound usually sidled past Shakespeare.
—
William Logan, New York Times Book Review, 11 Feb. 2001
Though sycamore wood was much used, pioneers were wary of the tree's fuzzy leaves, which they believed brought allergies and even consumption.
—Arthur Plotnik, The Urban Tree Book: An Uncommon Field Guide for City and Town, 2000
Modern literary novelists … wary of neat solutions and happy endings, have tended to invest their mysteries with an aura of ambiguity and to leave them unresolved.
—David Lodge, The Art of Fiction, 1992
The store owner kept a wary eye on him.
Investors are increasingly wary about putting money into stocks.
William Logan, New York Times Book Review, 11 Feb. 2001
Though sycamore wood was much used, pioneers were wary of the tree's fuzzy leaves, which they believed brought allergies and even consumption.
—Arthur Plotnik, The Urban Tree Book: An Uncommon Field Guide for City and Town, 2000
Modern literary novelists … wary of neat solutions and happy endings, have tended to invest their mysteries with an aura of ambiguity and to leave them unresolved.
—David Lodge, The Art of Fiction, 1992
The store owner kept a wary eye on him.
Investors are increasingly wary about putting money into stocks.
Recent Examples on the Web
His playing has now come to be an omen of danger, so visitors who hear drums playing should be wary.
—Sophie Friedman, AFAR Media, 22 Oct. 2025
Union Pacific quickly lasered in on Norfolk Southern, which — wary of being left out of what might be endgame consolidation in US carriers — quickly agreed to negotiate exclusively with Union Pacific.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Just be wary of the material of your blinds, and use the appropriate cleaner.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 21 Oct. 2025
Zelensky and Ukraine’s European allies are also wary of a summit in Budapest hosted by Putin’s closest ally in Europe, Viktor Orban – though the Kremlin said Tuesday that the venue and date have not been confirmed.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wary
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.
Sophie Friedman, AFAR Media, 22 Oct. 2025
Union Pacific quickly lasered in on Norfolk Southern, which — wary of being left out of what might be endgame consolidation in US carriers — quickly agreed to negotiate exclusively with Union Pacific.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Just be wary of the material of your blinds, and use the appropriate cleaner.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 21 Oct. 2025
Zelensky and Ukraine’s European allies are also wary of a summit in Budapest hosted by Putin’s closest ally in Europe, Viktor Orban – though the Kremlin said Tuesday that the venue and date have not been confirmed.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wary
Cite this Entry
“Wary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wary. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wary
adjective
ˈwa(ə)r-ē 
ˈwe(ə)r-
warier; wariest
: very cautious
especially
: being on guard against danger or trickery
wary of strangers
warily
adverb
ˈwar-ə-lē
ˈwer-
wariness
noun
ˈwar-ē-nəs
ˈwer-
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share