as in dangerous
not safe, strong, or steady
He earned a precarious livelihood by gambling. She was in a state of precarious health. The government is in a precarious position. The strong wind almost knocked him off of his precarious perch on the edge of the cliff.
Related Words
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Dissimilar Words
as in instability
the quality or state of not being firmly fixed in position
she quickly moved the china teapot after noticing its precariousness on the shelf
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of precarious
Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2025
Trump’s use of the term comes at a precarious time, as instances of antisemitism and hate crimes towards Jewish Americans have surged in recent years, especially since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
—Rebecca Schneid, Time, 5 July 2025
Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 22 May 2025
Recurrent themes running through the selection are motherhood, love and precariousness, and often precariousness linked to motherhood, such as in Adam’s Interest and the other Belgian film Kika.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for precarious
Adjective
For graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in particular, funding uncertainty has placed them in a precarious position.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2025
Trump’s use of the term comes at a precarious time, as instances of antisemitism and hate crimes towards Jewish Americans have surged in recent years, especially since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
—Rebecca Schneid, Time, 5 July 2025
Noun
But instead of recognizing the precariousness of his position, Netanyahu abandoned his characteristic caution, put his faith in Trump without a fallback, and is now left with nowhere else to turn.
—Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 22 May 2025
Recurrent themes running through the selection are motherhood, love and precariousness, and often precariousness linked to motherhood, such as in Adam’s Interest and the other Belgian film Kika.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for precarious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precarious
Adjective
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High dosages of certain popular supplements can cause dangerous side effects and even death.—
Sarah Bence,
Verywell Health,
11 July 2025
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Other symptoms can include itching, swelling, and a throbbing pain that radiates up the affected limb, according to Cleveland Clinic. Types Of Jellyfish To Look Out For According to Coffey, the U.S. is home to more than 9,000 species of jellyfish, and only about 100 are considered dangerous.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
11 July 2025
Noun
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Pakistan is grappling with economic volatility, regional instability, and fraying alliances.—
Jack Rosen,
New York Daily News,
21 July 2025
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Without firm protections or clarity on future reimbursement, this budget sets up another round of fiscal instability for institutions that cannot afford to operate on hope and verbal commitments.—
Heather Somers,
Hartford Courant,
20 July 2025
Adjective
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At least three people were killed in the treacherous flood waters streaming through a mountain village in New Mexico, which also knocked an entire home from its foundations and then swept it away.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
9 July 2025
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The search has been complicated by treacherous terrain, and the fact that crews are looking for an Army veteran skilled in wilderness survival who had a three-day head start.—
Cindy Von Quednow,
CNN Money,
7 July 2025
Adjective
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The daredevil had done many things riskier, of course, including a BASE jump off of the Christ The Redeemer Statue in Brazil.—
Jim Clash,
Forbes.com,
18 July 2025
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The key to any retirement investment strategy is to diversify and not place too much in any one asset class, and to rebalance to less risky assets as one nears and enters retirement.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 July 2025
Adjective
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Still, for Connecticut’s two Job Corps centers, the future is uncertain.—
Janhavi Munde,
Hartford Courant,
18 July 2025
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Whether the court grants access to the grand jury documents remains uncertain, but for now, Trump appears determined to reclaim control of the narrative.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 July 2025
Adjective
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Fire crews sometimes allow lightning-strike fires to burn, and made the decision to do that on the Dragon Bravo Fire, intended to reduce hazardous fuels and vegetation along the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.—
Hayleigh Evans,
AZCentral.com,
15 July 2025
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Map of damage: See how the Texas floods unfolded and why Camp Mystic was in a hazardous location The death toll has risen to 129 on Saturday, including more than three dozen children.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Precarious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precarious. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.
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