as in careful
having or showing a close attentiveness to avoiding danger or trouble
a cautious approach to everyday living
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Recent Examples of cautious
Officials were warning people to be cautious on the roads as authorities across multiple counties assessed the damage.
—
CBS News, 7 July 2025
The trend has been met with cautious optimism from officials, who point to the end of the COVID-19 pandemic and a flurry of government policies as contributing factors.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 July 2025
But the central bank has turned cautious this year.
—arkansasonline.com, 4 July 2025
The prospect of higher inflation even as present data looks mild has led to a staredown between the Fed, which has advocated for a cautious approach on cutting interest rates in case tariffs do worsen inflation, and Trump, who has aggressively called for big cuts.
—Derek Saul, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for cautious
CBS News, 7 July 2025
The trend has been met with cautious optimism from officials, who point to the end of the COVID-19 pandemic and a flurry of government policies as contributing factors.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 July 2025
But the central bank has turned cautious this year.
—arkansasonline.com, 4 July 2025
The prospect of higher inflation even as present data looks mild has led to a staredown between the Fed, which has advocated for a cautious approach on cutting interest rates in case tariffs do worsen inflation, and Trump, who has aggressively called for big cuts.
—Derek Saul, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for cautious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cautious
Adjective
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However, later in the day, be careful about jumping to conclusions when dealing with others.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
13 July 2025
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The takeaway: Be careful about triggering too many credit inquiries.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
13 July 2025
Adjective
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Be wary of anyone who claims to be an insurance specialist that is not from your insurance company or was not sent by your insurance company.—
Nicole Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
13 July 2025
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Also be wary of landlords who are out of the country.—
Steve Weisman,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
Adjective
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This can overwhelm analysts and lead to alert fatigue.—
Bhupendra Singh,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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The city's fire chief, Kevin Keddy, said the lifeguard was alert and conscious following the incident.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
People.com,
30 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cautious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cautious. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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