variants
also leary
as in wary
feeling or showing a lack of trust in someone or something
a leery attitude She seemed a little leery about the proposal. They were leery of their neighbors.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 leery
Trump’s nominee to chair the CFTC is still in limbo as some in the crypto and gambling industries appear leery of him.
—
Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Wall Street has long been leery of Palantir’s runaway valuation.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2025
All of which has left the PRC uniquely vulnerable to a cutoff of supplies from the region – and leery that such a disruption could actually occur.
—Ilan Berman, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
Ironheart, though, has yet to be renewed, and the way that the series — which wrapped filming back in late 2022 — was slow-walked onto our screens has many leery of Marvel’s future plans for Riri & Co.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for leery
Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Wall Street has long been leery of Palantir’s runaway valuation.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2025
All of which has left the PRC uniquely vulnerable to a cutoff of supplies from the region – and leery that such a disruption could actually occur.
—Ilan Berman, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
Ironheart, though, has yet to be renewed, and the way that the series — which wrapped filming back in late 2022 — was slow-walked onto our screens has many leery of Marvel’s future plans for Riri & Co.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for leery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leery
Adjective
-
Goodall was wary of doing another documentary on her life in 2017, but was persuaded by National Geographic to do so.—
Emily Krauser,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
-
This shows that parents and caregivers are growing wary of mounting student loan debt and are reluctant to have their children burdened by it in the future.—
De Elizabeth,
Parents,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
During the preview, a mischievous group of young diplodocus splash in the water around a pair of kayaking guests, while other juveniles like the triceratops are more cautious in nature, choosing to stick close to their parents.—
Griff Griffin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
-
The Dodgers are being cautious.—
Barry M. Bloom,
Sportico.com,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Still, Israelis and Palestinians are skeptical; large majorities of both doubt there will be permanent peace, new Gallup polling found.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
29 Sep. 2025
-
But experts remain skeptical about Martínez’s theory of a burial connected to Taposiris Magna.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Leery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leery. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share