as in wary
having or showing a close attentiveness to avoiding danger or trouble
chary investors who weren't burned by the dot-com bust
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Recent Examples of chary
With that, many corporate leaders are chary about overreacting to the workforce disruption concern.
—
Michael Peregrine, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
He’s not as guarded or chary as he was immersed in the Boston Baseball Experience, where one wrong step or word can spark furor.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 18 July 2022
Beautiful is a strong word, and artists, critics and scholars are chary of it.
—Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2021
Knox was a bit chary on specifics, but no athlete allows that many injections without asking questions.
—Richard A. Lovett, Outside Online, 1 Sep. 2021
With a writer so chary of detail, the reader rushes to fill in.
—Caleb Crain, The Atlantic, 10 Aug. 2021
That tone is most obvious in the author’s chary regard of his icon.
—John Semley, The New Republic, 26 May 2021
A lot of people were mildly chary of its prospects.
—The Economist, 13 Mar. 2021
Evangelical Christians, traditionally chary of getting involved in partisan politics.
—Rick Perlstein, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Aug. 2020
Michael Peregrine, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
He’s not as guarded or chary as he was immersed in the Boston Baseball Experience, where one wrong step or word can spark furor.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 18 July 2022
Beautiful is a strong word, and artists, critics and scholars are chary of it.
—Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2021
Knox was a bit chary on specifics, but no athlete allows that many injections without asking questions.
—Richard A. Lovett, Outside Online, 1 Sep. 2021
With a writer so chary of detail, the reader rushes to fill in.
—Caleb Crain, The Atlantic, 10 Aug. 2021
That tone is most obvious in the author’s chary regard of his icon.
—John Semley, The New Republic, 26 May 2021
A lot of people were mildly chary of its prospects.
—The Economist, 13 Mar. 2021
Evangelical Christians, traditionally chary of getting involved in partisan politics.
—Rick Perlstein, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Aug. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chary
Adjective
-
The producer is wary, however, of the current financial and sociopolitical moment in Europe and the rest of the world.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Film distributors and foreign TV networks are increasingly wary of buying Israeli shows.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
However, owners should also be cautious of potential dangers and hazards of outdoor adventures, as this pet parent learned from the dog's frightful fall.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Hiring has ground to nearly a halt, which could partly reflect a more cautious approach by many firms in the wake of the uncertainty created by the higher tariffs.—
Jessica Coacci,
Fortune,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Oct. 2025
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Integrating such a messy light source into a silicon photonics chip required careful engineering.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Chary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chary. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.
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