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.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of leery
Back in 2015, the Arab states of the Gulf region were leery of a U.S.-Iran nuclear deal.
—
Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 12 June 2025
Some top Pentagon officials were leery, however, of the optics of having troops defend Congress from Trump supporters.
—Ian Swanson, The Hill, 10 June 2025
Flush with promise: After decades of trying to court leery American consumers, high-tech Japanese toilet makers are finally seeing a shift.
—Natasha Frost, New York Times, 30 May 2025
The Republican governor has been leery of the more visually violent execution method.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for leery
Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 12 June 2025
Some top Pentagon officials were leery, however, of the optics of having troops defend Congress from Trump supporters.
—Ian Swanson, The Hill, 10 June 2025
Flush with promise: After decades of trying to court leery American consumers, high-tech Japanese toilet makers are finally seeing a shift.
—Natasha Frost, New York Times, 30 May 2025
The Republican governor has been leery of the more visually violent execution method.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for leery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leery
Adjective
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Be wary of anyone who claims to be an insurance specialist that is not from your insurance company or was not sent by your insurance company.—
Nicole Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
13 July 2025
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Also be wary of landlords who are out of the country.—
Steve Weisman,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
Adjective
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Be cautious using public Wi-Fi Avoid logging into accounts on public Wi-Fi or always use a VPN.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
20 July 2025
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Swimmers should be cautious of cold shock in waters below 60 degrees.—
Jalen Williams,
Freep.com,
18 July 2025
Adjective
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Coastal elites are always skeptical about whether a fast-growth, deep tech company can be built in the Midwest.—
Kathleen Gallagher,
jsonline.com,
15 July 2025
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In their interviews with town businessmen, the Sodality women try to convince the men that more hygienic practices will actually improve their bottom line, but the men are skeptical: why do anything new?—
Deborah Williams
July 14,
Literary Hub,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Leery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leery. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.
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