as in wary
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Recent Examples of gun-shy
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gun-shy
Adjective
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Most Venezuelans who spoke to CNN in Caracas were wary of sharing their opinions publicly.—
Stefano Pozzebon,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
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Republicans, meanwhile, remain wary of voting to extend the additional Obamacare subsidies, said Rodney Whitlock, a vice president at the McDermott+ consultancy who was a longtime congressional staffer and advises on health care policy.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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But what about potential customers who may be leery about hopping into a vehicle without a human doing the steering?—
Rob Nikolewski,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Nov. 2025
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Facing ever-higher operations costs, ranchers are leery of investing in an expansion.—
Alina Selyukh,
NPR,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Fearing a spike in anti-Japanese sentiment ahead of the parade, the Japanese embassy in Beijing warned its citizens to stay cautious and avoid speaking Japanese loudly in public – perhaps mindful that in recent years, there has been a spate of violent attacks against Japanese nationals in China.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
12 Nov. 2025
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Crypto assets did rise modestly alongside other risk assets following signs of progress in Washington, but the broader tone remains cautious.—
Sidhartha Shukla,
Fortune,
11 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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Step by careful step, Holbrook climbed, holding out bologna and cheese until two pairs of cautious eyes peeked back.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The comments in the post were split between those who wanted to show care to the boyfriend and those who were skeptical of the woman's behavior.—
Meredith Wilshere,
PEOPLE,
10 Nov. 2025
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But there are plenty of reasons to be skeptical.—
Bob Woods,
CNBC,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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People are emotionally dysregulated, distrustful, and disconnected.—
Fortune Editors,
Fortune,
29 Oct. 2025
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What To Know As regulations change and the public grows more distrustful of the industry, health care providers are dealing with consolidation, technology adoption and staffing challenges.—
Aman Kidwai,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Richards, along with two fellow runners (played by Katy O’Brian and Please Don’t Destroy’s Martin Herlihy), must avoid the surveillance state’s ever-watchful eyes, stay hidden, keep on the move.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
11 Nov. 2025
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The two temporarily set up shop in the ladies’ Miami home to keep a watchful eye on the neighbors, who were suspected of being jewelry thieves.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Though there were some reasons for optimism in Kohl’s report on Wednesday—comparable sales were unchanged in July—the Kohl’s saga remains a show-me story.—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
27 Aug. 2025
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Goldman downgraded the Club stock to hold from buy, saying this is now a show-me story.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
30 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gun-shy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gun-shy. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
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