1
as in naive
lacking in worldly wisdom or informed judgment
e-mail scams that take advantage of unwary recipients
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in careless
not paying or showing close attention especially for the purpose of avoiding trouble
a dangerous stretch of desert that has claimed many unwary travelers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in susceptible
readily taken advantage of
unwary consumers who unquestioningly swallow the dubious claims of TV pitchmen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 unwary
Employment data bristle with pitfalls for the unwary, even among experienced economists such as Ohanian.
—
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 3 Dec. 2024
The result is that fraudsters have rushed into cryptocurrency, exploiting the complexity and hype to dupe the unwary.
—Hilary Allen, Foreign Affairs, 5 Apr. 2023
These are unexplainable phenomena scattered throughout the game’s world that can kill an unwary player in an instant.
—Issy Van Der Velde, Rolling Stone, 20 Nov. 2024
Some of these bad actors are even setting up fake Hugging Face profiles to pose as Meta or other technology companies to lure downloads from the unwary, according to Swanson.
—Iain Martin, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for unwary
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 3 Dec. 2024
The result is that fraudsters have rushed into cryptocurrency, exploiting the complexity and hype to dupe the unwary.
—Hilary Allen, Foreign Affairs, 5 Apr. 2023
These are unexplainable phenomena scattered throughout the game’s world that can kill an unwary player in an instant.
—Issy Van Der Velde, Rolling Stone, 20 Nov. 2024
Some of these bad actors are even setting up fake Hugging Face profiles to pose as Meta or other technology companies to lure downloads from the unwary, according to Swanson.
—Iain Martin, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for unwary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unwary
Adjective
-
Even a naive analysis, one that buys into some very obvious Republican budget tricks, finds that this bill cuts taxes and raises spending by $4 trillion over 10 years — but only pays for about $1.7 trillion of that.—
Ezra Klein,
Mercury News,
28 May 2025
-
In the film's early scenes, Cruise displays a naive, unwavering patriotism that seamlessly meshed with the actor's military heroics in Top Gun three years earlier — which makes Kovic's stark transition to impassioned anti-war advocacy all the more surprising in the runtime's second half.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
24 May 2025
Adjective
-
State troopers cited the truck driver who caused the crash, a 57-year-old Texas man, for careless driving causing injury, according to the agency.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
7 June 2025
-
Edmund Richard Hartley, 32, the alleged operator of the vessel towing Ella, has been charged with four misdemeanors for careless operation of a vessel, the commission said.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
3 June 2025
Adjective
-
Insulated pots can also provide a bit of extra protection for root systems that can be susceptible to extreme temperature swings, Vater says.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
2 June 2025
-
Most aren’t susceptible to personal appeals with no payback.—
Stephen Collinson,
CNN Money,
31 May 2025
Adjective
-
Loew was made the mark in a kind of confidence game, Schulberg recalls, with Thalberg and Mayer putting on a show of activity at the failing Louis B. Mayer Productions that nonetheless impressed the Hollywood innocent.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
-
To insinuate yourself into someone’s life, the biggest manipulators act like the most innocent victims.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2025
Adjective
-
The driver accelerated away, making unsafe lane changes and weaving in and out of traffic, the trooper's report said.—
Madison Lambert,
NBC news,
6 June 2025
-
He's been charged with reckless driving, disobeying the signal of an officer, failure to maintain lane, passing on the right, improper turn, passing at an unsafe distance, engaging police in a pursuit, interfering with an officer and reckless endangerment in the first degree.—
Michael Nied,
People.com,
6 June 2025
Adjective
-
In South Florida, the one-day event will run from 1 to 7 p.m. at the Snapper Creek USPS post office, 11000 SW 104th St. The event is designed to make the process easier for both adults and minors applying for a U.S. passport for the first time, using Form DS-11.—
Maykel Gonzalez,
Miami Herald,
13 June 2025
-
From start to finish, the film offers no easy answers about what constitutes a breaking point for a parent caring for their child.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
13 June 2025
Adjective
-
Three of McConnell’s five steals came via what’s become his signature play — lurking in the backcourt and taking advantage of unsuspecting and/or lazy inbounds passes for turnovers.—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
12 June 2025
-
Mashpee man Gregory Mattos, 37, was charged in Wareham District Court with one count of photographing an unsuspecting nude person.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
10 June 2025
Adjective
-
Keep an open mind, as an erratic square between Mars and Uranus on June 15 could shake things up in unpredictable ways and result in some reckless behavior.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
6 June 2025
-
The girl’s 47-year-old stepmom is charged with child endangerment and reckless endangerment by discharging a firearm from within a motor vehicle, Shelby County court records show.—
Olivia Lloyd,
Charlotte Observer,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unwary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwary. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share