wariness

noun

Definition of warinessnext
as in carefulness
a close attentiveness to avoiding danger only his unceasing wariness saved the party of skiers from an avalanche

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 wariness Across the industry, workers viewed the mixed messaging with wariness and anger. — Stacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026 That, combined, with some tribe wariness over Aaliyah’s performance in the competition sealed her fate. — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Sep. 2026 Talarico's outreach to Black communities, getting people energized and to the polls in November, is also working against some of the residual wariness from voters like Edward Richard, which is applied to most Democratic politicians. — ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026 New players haven’t sensed any wariness from the loss or felt a Super Bowl hangover. — Chad Graff, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Parton, conversely, seemed to embrace all comers without wariness. — David Kamp, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026 When fed, crocodiles can lose their natural wariness of people and instead learn to associate humans with food. — David Goodhue august 27, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026 Data centers, and Americans’ wariness toward them, are increasingly shaping political debates around the country. — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 20 Aug. 2026 During our conversation, Goldfarb seems attuned to the wariness but prepared with counterpoints. — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 18 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wariness
  1. carefulness
  2. caution
  3. prudence
  4. care
  5. cautiousness
  6. attentiveness
  7. circumspection
Noun
  • This carefulness is clearly strategic.
    — Gary Sernovitz, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
  • There was no carefulness in it.
    — Zack Meisel, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Definition of carefulness
Noun
  • This caution is surprising in a writer who has elsewhere been fearless about identity and America, attentive to the country’s institutional capacity to humiliate, compromise, and implicate the people who claim it.
    — Zain Khalid, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Layoffs are low but caution is high Layoff activity hasn’t picked up speed, according to the Labor Department’s weekly reports on unemployment insurance filings.
    — Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of caution
Noun
  • Short-term rates went to 5% and change, Treasury bills paid more than investment grade corporates, and savers who had spent fifteen years being punished for prudence suddenly got paid handsomely for doing nothing.
    — Jason Kirsch, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • In those conditions, United’s prudence makes financial sense.
    — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of prudence
Noun
  • Perinatal palliative care is an important and compassionate option.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The other was identified by REACH as Brad Sparks, a flight nurse who is still receiving medical care.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of care
Noun
  • There used to be a cautiousness in rolling out new technology.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 8 Apr. 2026
  • One key reason for his cautiousness is the financial burden.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 27 Feb. 2026
Definition of cautiousness
Noun
  • In terms of hospitality, expect a high level of attentiveness.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The Moores used a lot of attentiveness — and prayer — to protect their son.
    — Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of attentiveness
Noun
  • Faragna motioned to Nardulli to step to one side and spoke into his ear with circumspection.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The machine moves with circumspection, as if consciousness had just been ensouled in a new body.
    — Stephen Witt, New Yorker, 6 July 2026
Definition of circumspection

Browse Nearby Words

warily
wariness
waring
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wariness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wariness. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of regimen

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All