1
as in naive
lacking in worldly wisdom or informed judgment
e-mail scams that take advantage of unwary recipients
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in careless
not paying or showing close attention especially for the purpose of avoiding trouble
a dangerous stretch of desert that has claimed many unwary travelers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in susceptible
readily taken advantage of
unwary consumers who unquestioningly swallow the dubious claims of TV pitchmen
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unwary
Rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have given fraudsters a host of new tools to trick unwary individuals into dishonest schemes.
—
Ranjita Iyer, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
That’s because the agency’s duty is to stand in the way of businesses desiring to push unsafe and ineffective nostrums at unwary consumers, and also in the way of a perverse idea that personal freedom includes the freedom to be gulled by charlatans.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2025
These are unexplainable phenomena scattered throughout the game’s world that can kill an unwary player in an instant.
—Issy Van Der Velde, Rolling Stone, 20 Nov. 2024
The result is that fraudsters have rushed into cryptocurrency, exploiting the complexity and hype to dupe the unwary.
—Hilary Allen, Foreign Affairs, 5 Apr. 2023
See All Example Sentences for unwary
Ranjita Iyer, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
That’s because the agency’s duty is to stand in the way of businesses desiring to push unsafe and ineffective nostrums at unwary consumers, and also in the way of a perverse idea that personal freedom includes the freedom to be gulled by charlatans.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2025
These are unexplainable phenomena scattered throughout the game’s world that can kill an unwary player in an instant.
—Issy Van Der Velde, Rolling Stone, 20 Nov. 2024
The result is that fraudsters have rushed into cryptocurrency, exploiting the complexity and hype to dupe the unwary.
—Hilary Allen, Foreign Affairs, 5 Apr. 2023
See All Example Sentences for unwary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unwary
Adjective
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But anyone imagining that this problem will be resolved by taking games beyond international borders is extremely naive.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
-
In contrast, the late-’90s and early-2000s pop culture era—glittery, naive, and commercially loud—feels like an antidote to endless doom-scrolling.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Jenkins’ fumble was due to careless ball-handling, although two members of his offensive line got bull-rushed, leading to the pressure.—
Walter Villa,
Miami Herald,
30 Oct. 2025
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One person was cited for careless driving after a fiery crash between two semitrucks closed Interstate 70 in Aurora for several hours Friday morning.—
Jessica Alvarado Gamez,
Denver Post,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The deterioration in the labor market has been concentrated in payroll employment, which is the [datapoint] that is the most susceptible to demographic and immigration changes.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
4 Nov. 2025
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However, Arizona's hot and dry desert climate made Gilbert susceptible to drought and wildfires, causing the low ranking in natural disaster risk.—
Paige Moore,
AZCentral.com,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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De Silva, police noted, was an innocent bystander who was not involved in the quarrel and was not believed to have been the target.—
Liam Quinn,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
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So that seemingly innocent Machu Picchu stamp—one of the most popular souvenir stamps around—could be viewed not as a harmless keepsake but as an unauthorized alteration that might jeopardize your ability to travel.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Downloads hosted on unfamiliar domains or file-sharing sites should be treated as unsafe.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
3 Nov. 2025
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Though unsafe to eat from city waters, oysters are among the most efficient purifying devices, each adult capable of filtering up to fifty gallons a day.—
Ben McGrath,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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These are a great place to stash in-flight essentials, and Arlo Skye’s options boast plenty of pockets to keep your passport, tech, water bottle, and other travel essentials in easy reach.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Nov. 2025
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Subway is bundling the taste of traditional Thanksgiving into a fast, easy-to-eat, and cost-effective option for those who don’t have the time, money, or resources to prepare a full Thanksgiving meal.—
Amanda Greenwood,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The story revolves around an ancient species of carnivorous piranhas that are unleashed in the lake, leading to a bloody and wild fight for survival among the unsuspecting revelers.—
Tiffany Acosta,
AZCentral.com,
28 Oct. 2025
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In the midst of tragedy came a small offering of knowledge from an unsuspecting source.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Critics lambasted those policies as impractical at best, reckless at worst.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
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These reckless policies have deadly consequences.—
Dan Gooding,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unwary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwary. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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