: to be on one's guard
beware of the dog
1
: to take care of
beware your wallet
2
: to be wary of
we must … beware the exceedingly tenuous generalization—
Matthew Lipman
Matthew LipmanExamples of beware in a Sentence
A ghostly voice cried “Beware!”.
He told them to beware.
The restaurant's food is excellent, but beware the chili if you don't like spicy food.
Recent Examples on the Web
There's a carousel, bumper cars and a train for children but beware, there's nothing Mickey Mouse about the climate which really does hover around freezing point.
—Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
The district’s disparate parts would be connected largely by two-lane highways cutting through steep slopes of places such as the Modoc National Forest, where nervous drivers must beware of a lack of guardrails.
—David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
In Lake Michigan, beach-goers from Manistee County south to Berrien County should beware of strong rip currents, waves up to 6 feet high and gusts reaching 25 knots (28 mph).
—Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Manchildren and pearl-clutchers, beware — Sabrina Carpenter‘s new album Man’s Best Friend is here.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for beware
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Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
The district’s disparate parts would be connected largely by two-lane highways cutting through steep slopes of places such as the Modoc National Forest, where nervous drivers must beware of a lack of guardrails.
—David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
In Lake Michigan, beach-goers from Manistee County south to Berrien County should beware of strong rip currents, waves up to 6 feet high and gusts reaching 25 knots (28 mph).
—Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Manchildren and pearl-clutchers, beware — Sabrina Carpenter‘s new album Man’s Best Friend is here.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for beware
Cite this Entry
“Beware.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beware. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
beware
verb
be·ware
bi-ˈwa(ə)r 
-ˈwe(ə)r
1
: to be on one's guard
beware of the dog
2
: to be suspicious of
beware the quick excuse
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