as in safeguard
a measure taken to preclude loss or injury
as parents of young children, they have taken the usual precaution of locking up their household cleansers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 precaution
This friend of mine has not had the best track record of being trustworthy or responsible, and people handle her with that kind of precaution.
—
Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2026
Two elementary schools in Cottage Grove took safety precautions Thursday during a report that an armed man was having a mental health crisis in a home.
—Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 30 Apr. 2026
The visit to the memorial took place under the usual security precautions New York affords visiting world leaders and heads of state.
—Philip Marcelo, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
Some varieties of marigolds can cause skin irritation, so wear gardening gloves as a precaution.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for precaution
Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2026
Two elementary schools in Cottage Grove took safety precautions Thursday during a report that an armed man was having a mental health crisis in a home.
—Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 30 Apr. 2026
The visit to the memorial took place under the usual security precautions New York affords visiting world leaders and heads of state.
—Philip Marcelo, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
Some varieties of marigolds can cause skin irritation, so wear gardening gloves as a precaution.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for precaution
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precaution
Noun
-
There are safeguards in place in case the salary cap does not increase or increases minimally.—
Daniel Popper,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
-
Anthropic, the San Francisco company behind the chatbot Claude, clashed with the Pentagon earlier this year over whether there were adequate safeguards around the military’s use of its technology.—
Queenie Wong,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Padlocks, sickles and other objects made of iron, a metal said to possess anti-demonic powers, were stashed in the grave as preventives.—
Franz Lidz,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2023
-
But although human vaccines function primarily as preventives, offering immunity to animals such as black-footed ferrets can be a conservation strategy of last resort.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
15 June 2023
Noun
-
At the same time, in the United States and around the world, women’s rights and protections are being systematically stripped away.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
-
By combining cutting-edge protection, mobility, and digital integration, these vehicles are set to play a crucial role in enhancing military effectiveness and safeguarding personnel.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
However, the researchers added a note of caution, noting that the technology was still in its early stages and could not be deployed at large scales immediately.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The developer is proceeding with caution.—
Catherine Odom,
Miami Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Precaution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precaution. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
