GUARDED Synonyms: 124 Similar and Opposite Words

guarded 1 of 2

adjective

ˈgär-dəd

Definition of guarded

as in wary

having or showing a close attentiveness to avoiding danger or trouble a guarded man who knew better than to reveal such delicate information guarded actions

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

guarded

2 of 2

verb

past tense of guard

as in protected

to drive danger or attack away from guard the quarterback so he doesn't get sacked

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as in blockaded

to disallow entry into (a place) by means of a physical barrier at the entry point a fire-breathing dragon guarded the entrance to the castle

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of guarded

Adjective

When that happens, people become more guarded, less open and less willing to engage. — Tony Gambill, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2026 Our spirits remain guarded, but high, for this one; the Venice Film Festival crowd seemed to eat it up. — Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 3 Sep. 2024

Verb

After Ohio State snapped its four–game losing streak this past November at The Big House, Michigan players guarded their own midfield logo. — Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 31 July 2026 When healthy and locked in, Embiid often can’t be guarded by one person. — Tony Jones, New York Times, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for guarded

Recent Examples of Synonyms for guarded

Adjective

Tokyo has grown increasingly wary of the yen's decline, which recently dropped to its weakest level against the dollar in nearly four decades.

— Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 Aug. 2026
With some wary residents questioning whether Ebola even exists, and health workers in one of Congo’s most remote and volatile regions struggling to respond to the outbreak with few supplies, pregnant women have less care than ever.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of wary

Verb

Mandarin Oriental’s arrival in 2006 protected and restored the interiors, while consulting with Conservation Authority archaeologists to preserve any historic findings.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
Presidio is protected by a series of berms and levees built in the 1970s and 1980s along the Rio Grande and tributaries to combat flooding.

— Rebecca Santana, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of protected

Verb

Iran’s proxies in the region, the Houthis, have since blockaded another strait – the Bab-al-Mandeb – challenging Saudi Arabia’s ability to export oil through that alternate route.

— David Goldman, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026
During the early nineteen-eighties, when Paul Volcker, the chair of the Federal Reserve, raised interest rates to twenty per cent in the face of rampant inflation, furious farmers blockaded the Fed’s headquarters with their tractors.

— John Cassidy, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of blockaded

Verb

The Justice Department has defended its track record in court and accused judges of overstepping their authority.

— NPR Staff, NPR, 8 Aug. 2026
In the face of the data center backlash, Pritzker defended his rollback of tax incentives at the Aspen Ideas climate conference in Chicago on July 21, according to a New York Times report.

— John Lippert, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of defended

Verb

Watauga police have resolved an incident on Ridglea Drive after a man barricaded himself inside a home Wednesday morning, officials said.

— Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 July 2026
Before finding their bodies, cops attempted to establish a conversation with Keegan Thomas, 33, who had barricaded himself inside the two-story residence.

— Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 26 July 2026

Definition of barricaded

Adjective

South Korea’s finance minister has apologized for launching the riskier products without careful consideration.

— Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
Regulators have been careful to note that the action targets concentrated and synthetic products, not natural leaf containing trace amounts.

— Jesse M. Pines, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of careful

Verb

In addition to sea lions, sea otters, walrus, polar bears, dugongs and manatees are also safeguarded.

— Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 27 July 2026
When the Nazis confiscated the negative and shipped it back to Berlin, Hensel safeguarded it in the Reichsfilmarchiv vaults in Berlin until the Allied victory.

— Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 18 July 2026

Definition of safeguarded

Cite this Entry

Style

“Guarded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guarded. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of guarded

adjective

verb

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