as in carefulness
a close attentiveness to avoiding danger
you should have shown a little more guardedness about sharing personal information with someone you just met online
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 guardedness
What stayed with the character was that guardedness, that way of seeing the world, the mistrust.
—
Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
Thankfully, her guardedness with the public hasn’t prevented her from being warm and open in person.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 25 Nov. 2025
Making guardedness and affable self-deprecation part of her identity, Keaton was known for wearing turtlenecks, gloves, and hats that kept her largely covered up, saving emotional vulnerability for her performances.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 11 Oct. 2025
At this point, arguments become a predictable mix of hostility, guardedness and mockery.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
Thankfully, her guardedness with the public hasn’t prevented her from being warm and open in person.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 25 Nov. 2025
Making guardedness and affable self-deprecation part of her identity, Keaton was known for wearing turtlenecks, gloves, and hats that kept her largely covered up, saving emotional vulnerability for her performances.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 11 Oct. 2025
At this point, arguments become a predictable mix of hostility, guardedness and mockery.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guardedness
Noun
-
There was no carefulness in it.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
-
Organizations can benefit by valuing carefulness and concentration not as an obligation, but as a fundamental pillar of success.—
Heather V. MacArthur,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Take extra caution when on the road or avoid driving if possible.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
1 June 2026
-
The same few voices lead every conversation, and everyone else trades challenge for caution.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
As courts weigh transgender military bans and states restrict gender-affirming care, some corporations retreat from sponsorship while local businesses step up to keep hometown Pride celebrations funded and visible.—
Geoff Mulvihill,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2026
-
Every detail is a quiet act of care.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
This raised interest rates to punishing levels just as fiscal prudence was being tossed aside.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
31 May 2026
-
Strength and prudence are not the same thing.—
S.E. Cupp,
New York Daily News,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
Zulfi is an iconoclast and a hustler, a man who dreams of opening a Muslims-only version of Uber and who, even in the face of Shah’s elitism and English society’s broader wariness, holds onto an unshakable optimism.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
-
Kousser, the political science professor, said the candidates were speaking to voters’ wariness on how candidates fund their campaigns.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
In a statement, his attorney Anna Geigle with the Denver law firm Geigle Morales, said Allen is deeply grateful for the jury’s hard work and attentiveness.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
28 May 2026
-
Nolan’s attentiveness to his characters extends beyond the page.—
Eliana Dockterman,
Time,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
There used to be a cautiousness in rolling out new technology.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
8 Apr. 2026
-
One key reason for his cautiousness is the financial burden.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
His quiet tone is not shyness or false modesty but circumspection and a sense of boundaries that imply respect and love for real communication.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
-
This circumspection was by design.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Guardedness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guardedness. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
