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.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of precarious
From 2015 to 2019, 47 semi-truck drivers have crashed on the west side of the mountain pass, and three drivers have been killed in crashes on that precarious stretch of highway, the agency said.
—
Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
But Poverty Never Left Me Almost every aspect of our life was precarious then.
—Stephanie Land, Time, 30 Oct. 2025
China is in a far more precarious state, mostly due to preexisting problems, but the new trade agreement is unlikely to move the dial much for either of the world’s two largest economies.
—Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
Against a backdrop of rising food and housing costs, more and more Americans find themselves in a precarious financial situation.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for precarious
Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
But Poverty Never Left Me Almost every aspect of our life was precarious then.
—Stephanie Land, Time, 30 Oct. 2025
China is in a far more precarious state, mostly due to preexisting problems, but the new trade agreement is unlikely to move the dial much for either of the world’s two largest economies.
—Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
Against a backdrop of rising food and housing costs, more and more Americans find themselves in a precarious financial situation.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for precarious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precarious
Adjective
-
Pipes and sewers can be very dangerous for pets and wildlife and Roto-Rooter, with specialized equipment and personnel, has become a go-to call to save cats, dogs, turtles and more.—
Alexander Coolidge,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Jan. 2026
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Ole Miss has enough dangerous weapons in quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, running back Kewan Lacy and wide receivers Harrison Wallace III, De’Zhaun Stribling and Deuce Alexander to make a tired defense pay.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Snow, ice and freezing temperatures hit parts of Europe on Tuesday, causing treacherous traffic conditions that left at least five people dead in France and forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights from one of the continent’s busiest airports.—
Mike Corder,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Jan. 2026
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With a combination of rain and snow in the week prior, David Motley, the city’s public relations director, said beach conditions were treacherous.—
Steve Sadin,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The right-hander generated a ground ball to get the force out at home in an extremely close call, and the very next pitch was a risky fly out tracked down by Andy Pages (who entered the game after the bases were loaded).—
Gabe Smallson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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The seedless doctrine For years, Tangem campaigned against seed phrases as risky and error-prone, arguing that paper or metal backups become a single, theft-prone secret that ordinary people routinely mishandle.—
Wyles Daniel,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
At the moment, its age is still uncertain.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Nov. 2025
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How Barton will advance his campaigns now is uncertain.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The result, Kahn says, is that parts of Earth’s orbital environment are rife with hazardous objects that can collide with vital space infrastructure.—
Humberto Basilio,
Scientific American,
7 Nov. 2025
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All seven patients were cleared almost immediately and no hazardous materials turned up on base, Fox News is told.—
Jennifer Griffin , Christina Shaw,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Precarious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precarious. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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