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verb

past tense of expose
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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective exposed contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of exposed are liable, open, prone, sensitive, subject, and susceptible. While all these words mean "being by nature or through circumstances likely to experience something adverse," exposed suggests lack of protection or powers of resistance against something actually present or threatening.

exposed to infection

When would liable be a good substitute for exposed?

The synonyms liable and exposed are sometimes interchangeable, but liable implies a possibility or probability of incurring something because of position, nature, or particular situation.

liable to get lost

When is open a more appropriate choice than exposed?

While in some cases nearly identical to exposed, open stresses a lack of barriers preventing incurrence.

a claim open to question

When might prone be a better fit than exposed?

Although the words prone and exposed have much in common, prone stresses natural tendency or propensity to incur something.

prone to delay

Where would sensitive be a reasonable alternative to exposed?

The words sensitive and exposed can be used in similar contexts, but sensitive implies a readiness to respond to or be influenced by forces or stimuli.

unduly sensitive to criticism

When is it sensible to use subject instead of exposed?

The meanings of subject and exposed largely overlap; however, subject implies an openness for any reason to something that must be suffered or undergone.

all reports are subject to review

When can susceptible be used instead of exposed?

The words susceptible and exposed are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, susceptible implies conditions existing in one's nature or individual constitution that make incurrence probable.

very susceptible to flattery

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 exposed
Adjective
The disease causes the soft tissue in the corals to slough off, leaving behind white patches of exposed skeleton. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 5 June 2025 Moreno thinks smaller businesses — which haven’t been subject to the same verification requirements as their larger counterparts — might have more undocumented workers on their payroll, potentially leaving them more exposed. Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 7 May 2025
Verb
The company was dealt a major blow by a five-month data breach in 2023 that exposed the personal data of almost seven million customers. William Gavin, Quartz, 24 Mar. 2025 Last year, 23andMe agreed to pay $30 million in cash to settle a class-action lawsuit accusing the company of failing to protect customers whose personal information was exposed in this breach. Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Chicago Tribune, 24 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for exposed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exposed
Adjective
  • This results in long, deep wounds in the surrounding flesh that are also susceptible to secondary bacterial infections, causing severe pain, and potentially death if left untreated.
    Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 10 July 2025
  • Being able to track this is super helpful because male cats are more susceptible to UTIs, which can be potentially life-threatening.
    Molly Higgins, Wired News, 9 July 2025
Adjective
  • While synthetic wicker furniture is built to take the elements, wicker pieces woven from natural materials are porous and are not meant to be left out in uncovered areas.
    Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 9 July 2025
  • In return, taxpayers received a 90% conviction rate, over 2,600 investigations initiated, more than $1.2 billion in asset seizures, $1.7 billion in restitution, and $9 billion in uncovered fraud.
    Andrew Leahey, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • Not all regions are equally vulnerable to hurricanes; storm severity and local infrastructure vary widely.
    Skye Sherman, Travel + Leisure, 15 July 2025
  • As a retailer known for selling discretionary items, Target has been vulnerable to high inflation and economic uncertainty.
    Melissa Repko, CNBC, 15 July 2025
Verb
  • Known for documenting her experiences on over 60 cruises, her journey aboard Global Mercy showcased a stark contrast to her usual floating escapes—and revealed how cruise ship design and operations underpin this vital humanitarian effort.
    David Nikel, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
  • Later in May, it was revealed that a writers’ room would begin this past summer to develop two more seasons of the show.
    Michael Schneider, Variety, 6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • And new privacy legislation in Senate Bill 1295 requires collectors of sensitive data to notify consumers if their personal data is being used to train large language models.
    Angela Eichhorst, Hartford Courant, 15 July 2025
  • In Cisco’s 2025 Data Privacy Benchmark, 64% of global respondents worry about inadvertently exposing sensitive information through AI tools, even as nearly half admit to feeding personal data into them.
    Boris Dzhingarov, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
Adjective
  • One sleeve covers your arm, while the other arm is bare, giving you the chance to show off your shoulders and stay cool, just a tiny bit out of your comfort zone.
    Katrina Cossey, Parents, 8 July 2025
  • This comes after Williams put handcuffs around her son's wrists and ankles while punishing him for refusing to pick up dog waste in the yard with his bare hands, according to a copy of the mother's indictment.
    Chris Spargo, People.com, 8 July 2025
Adjective
  • Atlanta’s other significant players are in their early to mid-20s, and the team is sitting on a golden first-round pick in 2026 (the better of New Orleans’ or Milwaukee’s, unprotected).
    John Hollinger, New York Times, 7 July 2025
  • Nadkarni: The Denver Nuggets trading Michael Porter Jr. and an unprotected 2032 first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets for Cam Johnson was something of a triple whammy.
    Andrew Greif, NBC news, 3 July 2025
Verb
  • In 2024, more than 100,000 pounds of turkey kielbasa products were recalled after the product was discovered to have fragments of bone inside.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 22 Mar. 2025
  • Foreign objects being discovered in food is a relatively rare recall reason, with more common reasons including bacterial or viral contamination or the presence of undeclared allergens.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 22 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Exposed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exposed. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.

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