as in wary
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Recent Examples of gun-shy
Underneath the puns and pumps was a dress-down of the rom-com that ultimately told the story of a woman who fell in love, came out worse, and became gun-shy.
—
Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 30 May 2025
Major studios have grown gun-shy about funding anything remotely risky; even a risk well taken can prompt a knee-jerk, scornful reaction from not only the executives but also the press: The film could, even should, have done better.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 25 Apr. 2025
Nintendo has been famously gun-shy of live-action adaptations — or adaptations in general — after the abysmal 1993 Super Mario Bros. film tanked.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 28 Mar. 2025
But that ending has yet to be printed: in a documentary climate in which corporations are growing increasingly gun-shy, The Stringer does not yet have a distributor.
—Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Jan. 2025
Harris dropped out of the 2020 presidential race early (followed later by her fellow female candidates, senators Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren), and some pundits speculated that Democratic primary voters were gun-shy of nominating another woman after Hillary Clinton’s loss in 2016.
—Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 21 July 2024
The Price of Entry Apart from elevated risks, there are several other reasons why international firms are likely to remain gun-shy about India.
—Arvind Subramanian, Foreign Affairs, 9 Dec. 2022
Digital transformation made employers more selective and gun-shy about entry-level hiring, but generative AI will take it to a new level.
—Ryan Craig, Forbes, 21 Apr. 2023
Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 30 May 2025
Major studios have grown gun-shy about funding anything remotely risky; even a risk well taken can prompt a knee-jerk, scornful reaction from not only the executives but also the press: The film could, even should, have done better.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 25 Apr. 2025
Nintendo has been famously gun-shy of live-action adaptations — or adaptations in general — after the abysmal 1993 Super Mario Bros. film tanked.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 28 Mar. 2025
But that ending has yet to be printed: in a documentary climate in which corporations are growing increasingly gun-shy, The Stringer does not yet have a distributor.
—Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Jan. 2025
Harris dropped out of the 2020 presidential race early (followed later by her fellow female candidates, senators Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren), and some pundits speculated that Democratic primary voters were gun-shy of nominating another woman after Hillary Clinton’s loss in 2016.
—Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 21 July 2024
The Price of Entry Apart from elevated risks, there are several other reasons why international firms are likely to remain gun-shy about India.
—Arvind Subramanian, Foreign Affairs, 9 Dec. 2022
Digital transformation made employers more selective and gun-shy about entry-level hiring, but generative AI will take it to a new level.
—Ryan Craig, Forbes, 21 Apr. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gun-shy
Adjective
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Those in disaster-prone states, such as Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) in Florida, hold a pessimistic view of FEMA and are wary of affording it greater power.—
Hailey Bullis,
The Washington Examiner,
26 May 2025
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While some swear by the cleaning product for disinfecting their dishwasher, others may be wary and opt for something different.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
26 May 2025
Adjective
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Besides the call for deeper cuts, some Republican senators are leery of the House push to phase out tax credits for big energy projects in their states.—
Carl Hulse,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
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Is there a reason for a CFO candidate to be leery of working for a company that is looking for its next CEO?—
Megan Poinski,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
Adjective
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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
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Watch out for slippery roads: Be extra careful during the first half hour after rain begins.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
25 May 2025
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Many participants with conflicting ideologies also reported cohabiting peacefully for the most part, while being careful not to bring up divisive topics and focus on their similarities instead.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
Adjective
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These regions were often skeptical of centralized power, and reformers pushed for tools like the initiative and referendum to give citizens a way to bypass political machines and corporate influence.—
Jeremy Kohler,
ProPublica,
30 May 2025
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It will be decided on by a conservative-majority Supreme Court that has been skeptical of considerations of race in public life.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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During Trump’s first term, his negotiator, Stephen Biegun, struggled to get face time with his North Korean counterparts, who were deeply distrustful of Trump’s advisers.—
John Delury,
Foreign Affairs,
3 June 2025
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Conservatives in the country are distrustful of China and see Lee as too friendly with the powerful neighbor.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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LifeLock Ultimate Plus monitors all three major credit bureaus to maintain a watchful eye on your credit reports and credit score.—
Advertising Content From Norton,
PC Magazine,
28 May 2025
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Vargas tried to keep a watchful eye over her daughter.—
Andrea Castillo,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2025
Adjective
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Goldman downgraded the Club stock to hold from buy, saying this is now a show-me story.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
30 Apr. 2025
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For various examples and further detailed indications about the nature and use of the show-me versus tell-me prompting strategy, see my coverage at the link here.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gun-shy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gun-shy. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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