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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Their attempts at political discourse often veered toward the group speaking in vague, naïve universalisms.—
Emma Madden,
Pitchfork,
4 Sep. 2025
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At times on Saturday, Bremen were terribly naive, exhibiting all the fragility expected of a team built from inexperienced players.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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For instance, an officer or insurance adjuster might claim your lack of footwear contributed to reckless or careless driving, and the matter could even be brought up in court or during an insurance review.—
Georgea Kovanis,
The Courier-Journal,
3 Sep. 2025
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This Earth sign can be quite the perfectionist, preferring order and discernment over anything remotely vague and careless.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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However, due to space constraints, not all instruments could fit inside the titanium vault, and the ones that couldn’t would be more susceptible to the inevitable degradation that would ensue from being exposed to this radiation-rich environment.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
3 Sep. 2025
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This finding raises the possibility that mammoths, as close relatives of modern elephants, might have been susceptible to similar infections.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Unless more Democrats start being realistic, many more innocent people will unfortunately continue to suffer.—
Christopher Tremoglie,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
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Ben Lewis Doherty, playing a boy named Sam whose life is upended by Robbie, is the show’s greatest innocent, a softhearted moppet who warns deer to be careful when crossing the street.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In many places, MMSD has also restored rivers and creeks to their previous state, removing concrete that funneled excess water too quickly, and essentially created a water cannon that made heavy rain events particularly unsafe.—
Laura Schulte,
jsonline.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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Attorneys for detainees at Florida’s Alligator Alcatraz have alleged unsafe and inhumane conditions, including COVID-19 exposure without isolation, flooding and pressure to sign removal orders before meeting lawyers.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Despite being banned from Instagram and TikTok in 2022, videos featuring Tate are still easy to find on those sites.—
Will Carless,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
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If the near future belongs to consumers with their own AI co-pilots, brands will win by being the easiest—and most trusted—choice inside those journeys.—
Jeff Fromm,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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After taking the unsuspecting gang members by surprise, police and task force members then engaged in a firefight, said the police source.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
2 Sep. 2025
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The viral video is a testament to the fact that, while some moments may be lost in time, others may be preserved through unsuspecting means for future generations to discover.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
For instance, an officer or insurance adjuster might claim your lack of footwear contributed to reckless or careless driving, and the matter could even be brought up in court or during an insurance review.—
Georgea Kovanis,
The Courier-Journal,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Set in 1968 suburbia, Father of Us follows five siblings caught between their magnetic but reckless father and their radiant but overwhelmed mother.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unwary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwary. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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