1
as in susceptible
being in a situation where one is likely to meet with harm
I'm vulnerable to sunburn whenever I go out in the sun
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in helpless
lacking protection from danger or resistance against attack
vulnerable baby chicks
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of vulnerable
The allegations will once again raise questions over the toxicity of reality television and how best to protect vulnerable contributors, or whether these shows should exist at all.
—
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 22 May 2026
The release stated that today, a third of sharks, rays and chimaeras are vulnerable to extinction.
—Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 22 May 2026
The non-profit warns the transition could leave vulnerable seniors without immediate access to services.
—Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 22 May 2026
Both options are expensive, vulnerable, and logistically painful.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for vulnerable
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 22 May 2026
The release stated that today, a third of sharks, rays and chimaeras are vulnerable to extinction.
—Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 22 May 2026
The non-profit warns the transition could leave vulnerable seniors without immediate access to services.
—Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 22 May 2026
Both options are expensive, vulnerable, and logistically painful.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for vulnerable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vulnerable
Adjective
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Potatoes are highly susceptible to pests like the Colorado potato beetle and diseases like late blight that caused the Irish potato famine.—
Nadia Hassani,
The Spruce,
23 May 2026
-
Older ligustrum trees become susceptible to what pathologist call cankers.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 May 2026
Adjective
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By contrast, the publication of his translation of Kafka in Italian in the spring of 1983 left him feeling empty, helpless, defenseless.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
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All the sweeping expansiveness snaps shut with a sudden health crisis for Kristen, its onset signaled with masterful concision in a middle-of-the-night calamity that leaves her helpless.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
Adjective
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But in all these cases, unopened soda is shelf-stable and not sensitive to refrigeration cycles.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
24 May 2026
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Raw vegetables may preserve nutrients that are sensitive to heat, while cooked vegetables can make others easier to absorb.—
Lynn Andriani,
Martha Stewart,
24 May 2026
Adjective
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In those first days of sobriety, the part of yourself that has been scabbed over with substances for so long is finally exposed, shivery and unprotected, to life dead sober.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
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Among developed nations, Americans are uniquely unprotected.—
Teresa Ghilarducci,
Boston Herald,
18 May 2026
Adjective
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The outer layers of the star will eventually cool and disperse, leaving a nebula of ex-stellar material surrounding the sun's core, which will then become an exposed cooling stellar remnant called a white dwarf.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
23 Apr. 2026
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The objective is to reduce exposed equity within the entity in a lawful and structured manner.—
Ascend Agency,
New York Daily News,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The Post also floated the idea that lightweight manhole covers — plastic or fiberglass — that have in some places replaced cast-iron ones and require a latch to stay in place are more prone to being dislodged, and that this perhaps was to blame.—
Christopher Bonanos,
Curbed,
22 May 2026
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Or that mining companies, which regularly extract water from lakes, rivers, and other reservoirs to support their operations, have experienced double-digit percent decreases in productivity as a result of depleted water sources in areas prone to drought.—
Mindy Lubber,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vulnerable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vulnerable. Accessed 26 May. 2026.
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