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
Tim Britton, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Amid this precarious situation for Miami filmmakers, who continue to produce against the odds, the new edition of The Louies arrives, offering grants totaling $100,000 to local documentarians that highlight the stories and people of South Florida.
—Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 27 Sep. 2025
Preston Fore, Fortune, 7 July 2025
Housing costs, especially for renters, have pushed Florida families into financial precariousness more than any other household expense, said United Way of Florida CEO Melissa Nelson.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for precarious
Adjective
The Mets made that unorthodox decision, preferring not to wait the extra week like most teams do around the break, because of the precarious state of their rotation at the time.
—Tim Britton, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Amid this precarious situation for Miami filmmakers, who continue to produce against the odds, the new edition of The Louies arrives, offering grants totaling $100,000 to local documentarians that highlight the stories and people of South Florida.
—Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 27 Sep. 2025
Noun
The episode underscores the precariousness of elite status in Putin’s Russia—and the unpredictable consequences for those who lose the president’s trust.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 7 July 2025
Housing costs, especially for renters, have pushed Florida families into financial precariousness more than any other household expense, said United Way of Florida CEO Melissa Nelson.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for precarious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precarious
Adjective
-
So quick, so dangerous in the final third, and surely so motivated to revive his career in a World Cup year.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
But even hanging around the base camp can be dangerous, as hundreds of holiday makers were trapped when the area was hit in an unexpected blizzard over the weekend.—
Kaijing Xiao,
ABC News,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The country is rife with political instability, having cycled through four prime ministers in the last five years – all members of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
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Putin accused European nations of fueling instability by increasing military spending and deepening integration under NATO.—
Alia Shoaib,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Equipment and supplies were transported to and from the site using 4x4 vehicles in what were treacherous driving conditions, per the UWFRA.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
6 Oct. 2025
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Earlier, the company stressed that the rugged Oshkosh Defense Palletized Load System (PLS) M1075A1 excels in extreme conditions, efficiently distributing supplies and equipment in treacherous environments using demountable flat rack cargo beds or ISO containers.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
That said, homepage refreshes are always risky, with user engagement always top of mind.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Oct. 2025
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Its increase—up more than 45% over the past year—has outperformed the S&P 500, perhaps suggesting investors are valuing the security of gold more than the riskier equity markets.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The hospital remains closed, and the company that owns it, Ballad Health, has said its reopening is uncertain.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
5 Oct. 2025
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While the 118 came together to save the survivors, the scars of Bobby's passing lingered, as did the uncertain future of the captain-less team.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Soon enough, the hazardous conditions overwhelm the area and Kevin has to get creative with maps and his driving skills, plus embrace a daredevil spirit, for even a chance of making it out alive with his young charges.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
2 Oct. 2025
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The computer scientists used an AI program to generate DNA codes for more than 75,000 variants of hazardous proteins – and the firewalls used by DNA manufacturers weren't consistently able to catch them.—
Nell Greenfieldboyce,
NPR,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Precarious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precarious. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.
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