1
as in naive
lacking in worldly wisdom or informed judgment
e-mail scams that take advantage of unwary recipients
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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 unwary
Because many tax professionals and taxpayers are unaware of the nuances of section 679, the provision often acts as a trap for the unwary.
—
Matthew L. Roberts, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
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
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
Matthew L. Roberts, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
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
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
-
Critics say Starmer was, at best, naive in not recognizing the risks involved.—
JILL LAWLESS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Critics say Mandelson’s ties with Epstein made his appointment too risky and Starmer was, at best, naive.—
Jill Lawless,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
When a newspaper is felled by careless or malicious owners, millions of people are hurt, in big ways and small ways and ways that are impossible to measure.—
Alexandra Petri,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Karlsson was on the wrong side of the puck all evening, made careless decisions and generally played a thoughtless game.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Teens are more prone to act on emotion, more susceptible to peer pressure and often less able to consider long-term consequences.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Certain medical conditions and factors like age can also make people more susceptible to the cold.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Chris Harrison sparked controversy Wednesday for a seemingly innocent request posted on social media.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The modern Western culture around nudity really teaches you shame about something that is so human and natural and innocent.—
Nicola Dall'Asen,
Allure,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The protections, known as the Flores Settlement Agreement, trace back to a 1985 class-action lawsuit against the federal government alleging that immigrant children were being held in unsafe conditions.—
Mike Hixenbaugh,
NBC news,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Revelations in 2020 that Boohoo’s Leicester contractors were subjecting their workers to exploitative pay and unsafe conditions certainly sullied the Midlands city’s reputation.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Use features like in-app messaging, video chat before meeting in person, profile visibility controls and easy blocking or reporting options.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Sánchez Arévalo has framed the film as a deliberate genre blend — thriller, drama, black comedy and Western — emphasizing that its resistance to easy labelling was central to the appeal.—
Emiliano De Pablos,
Variety,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The plan is to test her theory on an unsuspecting man in increasingly cringey ways.—
Charlie Vargas,
Oc Register,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Consisting entirely of text, the iconoclastic video installation was shown briefly on television, in airtime purchased by the artists, to alert unsuspecting spectators to TV advertising’s role—and their own complicity—in maintaining the status quo.—
Michael Cowan,
Artforum,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
That came four plays before Maye threw another reckless pass into a crowd of Seahawks that fell incomplete.—
Doug Kyed,
Hartford Courant,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Nationalists cheered Takaichi for her intervention on the issue, which went much further than sitting Japanese leaders have gone previously, while others criticized it as reckless.—
Freddie Clayton,
NBC news,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unwary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwary. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
