variants
also leary
as in wary
feeling or showing a lack of trust in someone or something
a leery attitude She seemed a little leery about the proposal. They were leery of their neighbors.
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Recent Examples of leery
Troy was leery, noting disgustedly, and correctly, that law enforcement had decided this time to send a Black detective, Penelton, hoping that this would put him at ease enough to finally talk.
—
Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
At the same time, at around $80 per ounce currently, the metal hasn't experienced such rapid growth as to exclude beginners and other investors leery of overpaying, either.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
In a 2024 business profile in the Naperville Sun, Mowry was leery of the impact construction work downtown would have on business.
—Steve Metsch, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
But in an industry whose currency has historically been trust, most news brands have been leery of turning their core relationship with their readers over to unreliable LLMs.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for leery
Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
At the same time, at around $80 per ounce currently, the metal hasn't experienced such rapid growth as to exclude beginners and other investors leery of overpaying, either.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
In a 2024 business profile in the Naperville Sun, Mowry was leery of the impact construction work downtown would have on business.
—Steve Metsch, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
But in an industry whose currency has historically been trust, most news brands have been leery of turning their core relationship with their readers over to unreliable LLMs.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for leery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leery
Adjective
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Flick was wary of the youngster experiencing a setback, given recent cases involving other young players and preferred to bring him back gradually.—
Laia Cervelló Herrero,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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While the singer recently said viewers do not need to learn Spanish to enjoy the show and only need to dance, some viewers are still wary of tuning in.—
Kate Perez,
USA Today,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Be cautious about taking on new debt that assumes your current income is guaranteed.—
Matt Shumer,
Fortune,
11 Feb. 2026
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Connecticut education leaders are expressing cautious optimism as the state Department of Education tries its hand at course development.—
Theo Peck-Suzuki,
Hartford Courant,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Overall, the five-member panel of justices appeared skeptical of the prosecution’s arguments on those points.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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Some fans can get skeptical when their favorite artists incorporate more Christian-adjacent messaging in their music.—
Kyle Denis,
Billboard,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Leery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leery. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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