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
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 precarious
His heart was under strain, and his blood oxygen level was precarious.
—
Steven Levingston, Vanity Fair, 23 Feb. 2026
Directed by Lynne Ramsay, the movie follows Joe (Joaquin Phoenix), an introverted loner who rescues women who find themselves in precarious positions.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Feb. 2026
The Cowboys don’t appear to have the slightest idea what Pickens might do, leaving them in a precarious position with a key player, as usual.
—Kevin Sherrington
feb. 21, Dallas Morning News, 21 Feb. 2026
But the nicotine wellness boom is precarious.
—Sarah Todd, STAT, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for precarious
Steven Levingston, Vanity Fair, 23 Feb. 2026
Directed by Lynne Ramsay, the movie follows Joe (Joaquin Phoenix), an introverted loner who rescues women who find themselves in precarious positions.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Feb. 2026
The Cowboys don’t appear to have the slightest idea what Pickens might do, leaving them in a precarious position with a key player, as usual.
—Kevin Sherrington
feb. 21, Dallas Morning News, 21 Feb. 2026
But the nicotine wellness boom is precarious.
—Sarah Todd, STAT, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for precarious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precarious
Adjective
-
In 2024, the unfinished towers became a major downtown eyesore after graffiti vandals covered at least 25 floors, followed by dangerous stunts including base jumping that were captured on video and widely shared on social media.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Taunton is in Bristol County, which was under a travel ban for non-essential travel due to dangerous road conditions.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The bodies of the eight dead skiers remain on the icy mountainside because of the treacherous conditions, the sheriff’s department said.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Rescue crews have faced treacherous conditions, including blinding snow and high winds.—
Matt Gutman,
CBS News,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Even searching for information online can be risky.—
Sophie Spiegelberger,
New Yorker,
24 Feb. 2026
-
This can be less costly upfront than buying stocks, but can also be riskier, because options expire and a small move in a stock’s price can translate into a big swing in the value of options contracts.—
Alex Veiga,
Fortune,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
When that might happen is highly uncertain, and completely up to Guthrie, given this month’s agonizing and all-consuming search for her mother Nancy.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The uncertain availability and high prices have been complicating plans for out-of-town fans hoping to travel to North American cities for matches.—
Henry Bushnell,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The emergency declaration was first signed by county administrator and director of emergency services Kevin Mallen in response to hazardous materials and debris entering the Yuba River.—
Chaewon Chung,
Sacbee.com,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Boating conditions are poor to hazardous but are expected to improve through the day.—
Garfield Hylton,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Precarious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precarious. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
