as in wary
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Recent Examples of gun-shy
Major studios have grown gun-shy about funding anything remotely risky; even a risk well taken can prompt a knee-jerk, scornful reaction from not only the executives but also the press: The film could, even should, have done better.
—
David Sims, The Atlantic, 25 Apr. 2025
Nintendo has been famously gun-shy of live-action adaptations — or adaptations in general — after the abysmal 1993 Super Mario Bros. film tanked.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 28 Mar. 2025
But that ending has yet to be printed: in a documentary climate in which corporations are growing increasingly gun-shy, The Stringer does not yet have a distributor.
—Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Jan. 2025
Harris dropped out of the 2020 presidential race early (followed later by her fellow female candidates, senators Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren), and some pundits speculated that Democratic primary voters were gun-shy of nominating another woman after Hillary Clinton’s loss in 2016.
—Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 21 July 2024
The Price of Entry Apart from elevated risks, there are several other reasons why international firms are likely to remain gun-shy about India.
—Arvind Subramanian, Foreign Affairs, 9 Dec. 2022
Digital transformation made employers more selective and gun-shy about entry-level hiring, but generative AI will take it to a new level.
—Ryan Craig, Forbes, 21 Apr. 2023
David Sims, The Atlantic, 25 Apr. 2025
Nintendo has been famously gun-shy of live-action adaptations — or adaptations in general — after the abysmal 1993 Super Mario Bros. film tanked.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 28 Mar. 2025
But that ending has yet to be printed: in a documentary climate in which corporations are growing increasingly gun-shy, The Stringer does not yet have a distributor.
—Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Jan. 2025
Harris dropped out of the 2020 presidential race early (followed later by her fellow female candidates, senators Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren), and some pundits speculated that Democratic primary voters were gun-shy of nominating another woman after Hillary Clinton’s loss in 2016.
—Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 21 July 2024
The Price of Entry Apart from elevated risks, there are several other reasons why international firms are likely to remain gun-shy about India.
—Arvind Subramanian, Foreign Affairs, 9 Dec. 2022
Digital transformation made employers more selective and gun-shy about entry-level hiring, but generative AI will take it to a new level.
—Ryan Craig, Forbes, 21 Apr. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gun-shy
Adjective
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The study, by the Kearney Consumer Institute, found that consumers are wary of spending.—
Betty Lin-Fisher,
USA Today,
20 Apr. 2025
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Europe is wary of sleepwalking back into the trap of reliance on Russian energy resources that caused an energy crisis at the outset of the 2022 invasion and mounting speculation that Europe might reopen its taps has sparked pushback from key European voices.—
Ariel Cohen,
Forbes.com,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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She’s perfected her travel routine Like any typical traveler, Fatu is leery of sharing her space with strangers and leaving her immune system at the mercy of an airline cleaning crew.—
Martie Bowser,
Forbes.com,
22 Apr. 2025
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When the two talked, Doumbia was leery of just about anybody.—
Mac Engel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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So for a couple of reasons, the Red Sox are playing it cautious with Anthony, even with the latest foot injury, undoubtedly to the frustration of most of their fan base.—
Jen McCaffrey,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
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While public support for cannabis legalization has grown, recent events indicate a more cautious approach.—
Matt Rozo,
Mercury News,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Be careful not to let in too much moisture to avoid any mildew or mold developing on your mattress.—
Terry Baddoo,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
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Yet Schlossberg is careful to note that May did not shadow-direct the movie during production.—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Listen, many Gomez fans were skeptical when the singer confirmed her relationship with the prolific music producer back in December 2023.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
25 Apr. 2025
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Some are skeptical given his slight wingspan and arm length and wonder if a move to left guard may eventually be necessary.—
Chad Graff,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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After Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the American public has become even more distrustful of the Russian autocrat.—
MICHAEL McFAUL,
Foreign Affairs,
4 Apr. 2025
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But now, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, a growing number of Americans are distrustful when authorities go against something seemingly intuitive — like the idea that ingesting low levels of herbicides and heavy metals over your lifetime will be bad for your health.—
Greg Rosalsky,
NPR,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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By official count, there are about 6 million Catholics in China, but the number may be higher when counting those who practice at underground churches to avoid Beijing’s watchful eye.—
Nectar Gan,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2025
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Powell has signaled that the Fed is keeping a watchful eye on the impact of Mr. Trump's trade policies.—
Alain Sherter,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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For various examples and further detailed indications about the nature and use of the show-me versus tell-me prompting strategy, see my coverage at the link here.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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The curveball looks right with a huge arc to its break, but in this game and on the season as a whole the slider’s gotten more whiffs, so the curve might just be a good show-me pitch or a way to get a chase on something below the zone.—
Keith Law,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gun-shy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gun-shy. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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