as in wary
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Recent Examples of gun-shy
But the specter of political consequences has officials in Miami feeling gun-shy about taking a public stance that could incite the wrath of the state and federal governments.
—
Miami Herald, 12 Feb. 2026
But because Trump and the Republicans have been so effective in slapping extreme liberal caricatures on their opponents, Democrats are gun-shy.
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
With President Donald Trump sending armed federal agents into communities around the country, even more once gun-shy liberals and leftists are considering getting armed.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 1 Feb. 2026
City staff members and officials remain a little gun-shy, Hazeltine said.
—Susan Gill Vardon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Dec. 2025
The pressure from both the U.S. and China has seemingly made Panama more gun-shy about those ports shifting hands, with numerous officials putting CK Hutchison’s partnership with the Panamanian government under scrutiny.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 13 Aug. 2025
The writers gave The X-Files an award back in 1996 when the overall Academy was gun-shy about voting for it in Outstanding Drama.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 2 Aug. 2025
Underneath the puns and pumps was a dress-down of the rom-com that ultimately told the story of a woman who fell in love, came out worse, and became gun-shy.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 30 May 2025
Miami Herald, 12 Feb. 2026
But because Trump and the Republicans have been so effective in slapping extreme liberal caricatures on their opponents, Democrats are gun-shy.
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
With President Donald Trump sending armed federal agents into communities around the country, even more once gun-shy liberals and leftists are considering getting armed.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 1 Feb. 2026
City staff members and officials remain a little gun-shy, Hazeltine said.
—Susan Gill Vardon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Dec. 2025
The pressure from both the U.S. and China has seemingly made Panama more gun-shy about those ports shifting hands, with numerous officials putting CK Hutchison’s partnership with the Panamanian government under scrutiny.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 13 Aug. 2025
The writers gave The X-Files an award back in 1996 when the overall Academy was gun-shy about voting for it in Outstanding Drama.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 2 Aug. 2025
Underneath the puns and pumps was a dress-down of the rom-com that ultimately told the story of a woman who fell in love, came out worse, and became gun-shy.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 30 May 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gun-shy
Adjective
-
Beijing is widely seen to be wary of that program, which has traditionally heightened American focus on the region and risks instability that could impact China, which shares a border with North Korea.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
-
Separately, some remain wary of the consequences of redundancies across certain functions.—
Meg Short,
Fortune,
7 June 2026
Adjective
-
At the same time, polls have shown that Americans have become increasingly leery of artificial intelligence, fearing its effects on jobs and the environment.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
4 June 2026
-
In the end, the legal team was leery of making the decision by itself, and solicited the help of the group of parent activists who had been advising it on strategy.—
Larissa MacFarquhar,
New Yorker,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
The move suggests a broader shift in Tehran, where a new generation of leaders is increasingly abandoning the cautious, reactive approach that long defined the Islamic Republic’s strategy towards its adversaries.—
Abbas Al Lawati,
CNN Money,
10 June 2026
-
Ciara is very cautious and played it slow in opening her heart up to West.—
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
Backfill with soil, being careful not to place the soil against the stem, as this can cause rot.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
6 June 2026
-
Every Jantzen suit is crafted for a variety of body types with careful attention to support, coverage and ease of movement.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
During the Cold War, a nuclear-armed, NATO-skeptical France developed its own philosophy for war in the air.—
Joseph Ataman,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
-
Though Musk anticipates widespread automation in the next decade or two, economists are skeptical about how pervasive and fast these labor and policy shifts will be.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
Netanyahu – distrustful of the US’s diplomacy and raring for a return to war instead – had also just been handed a roadmap back to open conflict with Iran.—
Jeremy Diamond,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
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Aid supplies reached the heart of the outbreak this week but medical personnel continue to struggle with a lack of equipment, a distrustful population and armed groups in the volatile region.—
Jean-Yves Kamale,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
At a celebratory exhibition match last week in the capital, under the watchful eye of the supreme leader, Naegohyang faced off against the under-17s team, who just added an Asian Cup to their impressive array of silverware, trouncing Japan 5-1 in the final.—
Andrew McNicol,
CNN Money,
7 June 2026
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Eaton Canyon, at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, has been closed to the public since the 2025 Eaton Fire, and regrowth is beginning to emerge, with watchful eyes monitoring its progress.—
Joy Benedict,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
Cape Cod and Kettle chips are show-me stories.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The market is in a ‘show-me’ phase, anticipating demonstrable results from the record backlog before the balance sheet deteriorates.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gun-shy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gun-shy. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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