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
-
The pattern has left Iranians wary that any sign of instability is met with brutal suppression.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2025
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Does the entertainment industry have a right to be wary of AI at this stage?—
Diana Lodderhose,
Deadline,
4 June 2025
Adjective
-
The Chiefs, who have a history of being cautious with their rookies during summer practices, nonetheless had Simmons participate in non-team drills during rookie minicamp last month.—
Jesse Newell,
Kansas City Star,
3 June 2025
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Be cautious not to overuse vinegar in the dishwasher, as the acid can degrade certain rubber components, like gaskets and filters.—
Nafeesah Allen,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 June 2025
Adjective
-
Watch out for slippery roads: Be extra careful during the first half hour after rain begins.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
7 June 2025
-
But as the Trump administration has rolled out immigration policies targeting Venezuelans, Haitians and Cubans, GOP officials in Miami have had to draw a careful balance between supporting the White House and the many immigrants in their district affected by Trump’s immigration agenda.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Chary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chary. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.
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