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
But Hamilton also credited the LAPD’s Community Safety Partnership program and other long-term efforts that have sought to build trust with communities that were historically wary of police, prompting more people to come forward with information and helping to solve more crimes.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
When Max disappears to Malta (leaving a possibly pregnant Leonie behind) to translate wary poet Anna’s work, travel writer Rhoda is dispatched to track him down.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
Given Venezuela’s recent history, Presti said, there is reason to be wary of what comes next.
—Dan Horn, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Jan. 2026
China is likely to be wary of being dragged into this conflict, as Venezuela carries limited economic significance for China and little geopolitical proximity.
—Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 5 Jan. 2026
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.
Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
When Max disappears to Malta (leaving a possibly pregnant Leonie behind) to translate wary poet Anna’s work, travel writer Rhoda is dispatched to track him down.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
Given Venezuela’s recent history, Presti said, there is reason to be wary of what comes next.
—Dan Horn, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Jan. 2026
China is likely to be wary of being dragged into this conflict, as Venezuela carries limited economic significance for China and little geopolitical proximity.
—Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wary
Cite this Entry
“Wary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wary. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.
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