as in wary
having or showing a close attentiveness to avoiding danger or trouble
chary investors who weren't burned by the dot-com bust
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Recent Examples of chary
A lot of people were mildly chary of its prospects.
—
The Economist, 13 Mar. 2021
He’s not as guarded or chary as he was immersed in the Boston Baseball Experience, where one wrong step or word can spark furor.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 18 July 2022
Knox was a bit chary on specifics, but no athlete allows that many injections without asking questions.
—Richard A. Lovett, Outside Online, 1 Sep. 2021
Beautiful is a strong word, and artists, critics and scholars are chary of it.
—Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2021
With a writer so chary of detail, the reader rushes to fill in.
—Caleb Crain, The Atlantic, 10 Aug. 2021
That tone is most obvious in the author’s chary regard of his icon.
—John Semley, The New Republic, 26 May 2021
Evangelical Christians, traditionally chary of getting involved in partisan politics.
—Rick Perlstein, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Aug. 2020
The autocratic Chinese government is also chary of any display of mass mobilization, even benign ones like Pride.
—Charlie Campbell / Shanghai, Time, 15 June 2018
The Economist, 13 Mar. 2021
He’s not as guarded or chary as he was immersed in the Boston Baseball Experience, where one wrong step or word can spark furor.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 18 July 2022
Knox was a bit chary on specifics, but no athlete allows that many injections without asking questions.
—Richard A. Lovett, Outside Online, 1 Sep. 2021
Beautiful is a strong word, and artists, critics and scholars are chary of it.
—Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2021
With a writer so chary of detail, the reader rushes to fill in.
—Caleb Crain, The Atlantic, 10 Aug. 2021
That tone is most obvious in the author’s chary regard of his icon.
—John Semley, The New Republic, 26 May 2021
Evangelical Christians, traditionally chary of getting involved in partisan politics.
—Rick Perlstein, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Aug. 2020
The autocratic Chinese government is also chary of any display of mass mobilization, even benign ones like Pride.
—Charlie Campbell / Shanghai, Time, 15 June 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chary
Adjective
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Cuban compared people who are wary of adopting AI tools in the workplace to those who were once afraid to embrace PCs and mobile devices.—
Tom Huddleston Jr.,Megan Sauer,
CNBC,
15 Mar. 2025
-
Egypt is wary of the Muslim Brotherhood in which Hamas has its roots and has been fighting militant insurgents in the Sinai Peninsula, which neighbors Gaza.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
15 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Some loyal Tesla bulls are treating the drop as a temporary setback (or even a buying opportunity), while more cautious investors are rethinking their exposure.—
Shahar Ziv,
Forbes,
11 Mar. 2025
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Avoid sudden braking or acceleration, and be especially cautious on hills or when making turns.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacramento Bee,
10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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These concerns underscore the need for careful consideration of privacy rights when deploying such technology.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
Fox News,
15 Mar. 2025
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Rendering animal fat requires careful heating and purification to remove impurities.—
Boutayna Chokrane,
WIRED,
14 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Chary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chary. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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