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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of guardedness
Marina, for her part, reacts to every new face and each fresh piece of information with an instinctive guardedness—and Garcia illuminates, with an almost sphinx-like half smile, the preternatural reserve of someone who’s grown up knowing not to expect too much from people.
—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
26 June 2026
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
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
26 June 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guardedness
Noun
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This carefulness is clearly strategic.
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There was no carefulness in it.
Noun
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Onboard of Connor Zilisch spotting Patrick Mahomes in the crowd under caution.
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Experts, however, urge caution.
Noun
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If CosRx can convince people to willingly slather snail mucin on their faces, trusting the brand with hair care is a pretty easy next step.
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Women are far more likely than men to leave the workforce to take care of children or aging parents.
Noun
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Considering there were only 33 appearances this past season, such Heat prudence hardly could be viewed as insulting.
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This is how a title is won, with prudence and luck and a foresight that becomes apparent in the afterglow of victory.
Noun
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After twenty years apart, their extreme wariness feels absolutely right.
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Even beyond Cassidy, more Trump-friendly GOP lawmakers have expressed wariness in recent days about elements of the seemingly tenuous pact.
Noun
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That attentiveness showed up in small ways throughout our stay.
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In the past 15 years, and especially in the last five, our city has seen an influx of pizza restaurants and chefs who’ve brought a diversity of styles and an attentiveness to elevated ingredients and approaches.
Noun
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There used to be a cautiousness in rolling out new technology.
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One key reason for his cautiousness is the financial burden.
Noun
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His quiet tone is not shyness or false modesty but circumspection and a sense of boundaries that imply respect and love for real communication.
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This circumspection was by design.
Cite this Entry
“Guardedness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guardedness. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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