gun-shy

adjective

Definition of gun-shynext
as in wary

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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 gun-shy The Guardians, typically stealthy and deliberate and gun-shy and sometimes patient and risk-averse to a fault, certainly shot their shot. — Zack Meisel, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026 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 City staff members and officials remain a little gun-shy, Hazeltine said. — Susan Gill Vardon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Dec. 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
  1. wary
  2. leery
  3. cautious
  4. careful
  5. skeptical
  6. distrustful
  7. watchful
  8. show-me
Adjective
  • The experts Fortune spoke with were wary of leaning too hard on age in this debate.
    — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 9 Aug. 2026
  • The communicators interviewed for this story were much warier of letting AI write public-facing material than of using it behind the scenes for research or other tasks.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of wary
Adjective
  • The course comes two months after the city held a daylong expo about AI and at a time when Black communities are leery of AI and are concerned about the onslaught of data centers cropping up in their communities.
    — Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 7 July 2026
  • For example, the Republican clerk in Elbert County is also leery of election results and did a hand count of the presidential results in his county in 2020.
    — The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 7 July 2026
Definition of leery
Adjective
  • As the use of AI increases, financial experts say consumers should be cautious about fully trusting these tools.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The Fed may be more cautious about raising interest rates at a time when the labor market appears less stable.
    — Scott Horsley, NPR, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of cautious
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
Adjective
  • And others are less confident that a deal is imminent and are skeptical about its longevity.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 5 Aug. 2026
  • However, markets remain skeptical about whether a deal can be reached.
    — , CNBC, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of skeptical
Adjective
  • The 72-year-old’s popularity boomed during the pandemic, when his insistence that COVID vaccines were dangerous and his opposition to lockdown restrictions attracted many Americans distrustful of government policy.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
  • Fearful of invading marauders, humankind has turned distrustful and stingy, ignoring Zeus’ command to show generosity toward the poor and foreign-born, a cornerstone of faith that would later be repurposed in the New Testament.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
Definition of distrustful
Adjective
  • No matter where his assistant coaches went while at Alabama, former coach Nick Saban always had a watchful eye on his staff members who would sneak out of the office for a round of golf.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Under the watchful eye of head coach Andy Reid and his staff of NFL assistants, superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes put the offense through its paces.
    — Emily Curiel, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026
Definition of watchful
Adjective
  • With respect to Norvell and his players, observers are in show-me mode.
    — Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 15 July 2026
  • Cape Cod and Kettle chips are show-me stories.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 27 Apr. 2026
Definition of show-me

Browse Nearby Words

gunshots
gun-shy
gurgle
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Cite this Entry

“Gun-shy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gun-shy. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

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