1
as in naive
lacking in worldly wisdom or informed judgment
e-mail scams that take advantage of unwary recipients
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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By enjoying the exciting spectacle, their fans have willingly become mindless followers—idol worshippers who are too misguided, and naive, to see they’re being led toward their own destruction.—
Yvonne Kim,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
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Speaking of burnout, that was the ultimate destination for the generation that came before, singed by their naive belief that adopting a neo-Stakhanovite approach to work and careers would pay off.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Protecting Users From Themselves No matter how sophisticated network defenses are, a careless action can undo them.—
Max Silber,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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The programmer seems to have been a little careless.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The largest member of the grass family, bamboo is combustible, susceptible to deterioration and weaker in rain, raising legitimate questions about its durability, Arup’s Ho said.—
Karina Tsui,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
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Those are straightforward power rushes designed to contain mobile quarterbacks rather than spamming exotic pressure looks that could leave the defensive line susceptible to holes.—
Matt Schneidman,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Someone's mispronunciation, for example, might have more do with innocent ignorance as opposed to a mistake worth correcting.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
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The new location will allow Wiggam Law to support clients outside of downtown Atlanta and directly in Gwinnett County, offering legal services including audit defense, tax litigation, penalty abatement, innocent spouse relief and IRS collections representation.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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With no hospital in sight and no health workers around, Amani was forced to deliver in unsafe and high-risk conditions.—
Sarah Ferguson,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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In the same way there’s no conclusive data to say chemical sunscreen formulas are inherently more toxic than mineral ones, there’s no conclusive data to say SPF boosters are inherently safe or unsafe.—
Dani Hardman,
Allure,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Summarizing decades of comics history is no easy task but the team pulls it off well here.—
Rob Wieland,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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Transforming Amazon into a startup-like environment isn’t an easy task.—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Nestled among the picturesque seaside towns on France’s blustery northern coast is an unsuspecting place called Deauville.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Sep. 2025
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The video then shows the suspect unfolding a knife and standing before attacking the unsuspecting Zarutska.—
Alex Gangitano,
The Hill,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The charges of reckless endangerment of children are because Reed is accused of firing a gun in a parking lot where children were present, North Richland Hills police spokesperson Carissa Katekaru said.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Sep. 2025
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Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur, in contrast, cut one of the most open — stroke reckless — teams the Premier League has encountered, with different intensity levels entirely, shown above.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unwary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwary. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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