variants
or less commonly leary
: suspicious, wary
—often used with of
leery of strangers
She seemed a little leery of the proposal.
Examples of leery in a Sentence
They were leery of their neighbors.
Recent Examples on the Web
While consumers are leery of any more inflation, especially in the price-hike-happy streaming business, the financial world has long seen significant opportunity for the company to boost its profit margins by raising prices.
—
Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 21 Jan. 2025
He is expected to cruise to Senate confirmation, like Trump’s other nominees, despite the misgivings of some Republicans who are leery of his affiliation with Project 2025, the conservative policy playbook that became a magnet for controversy during last year’s election.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 16 Jan. 2025
Insurers have become increasingly leery given the high risk.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 10 Jan. 2025
Still, Wall Street is losing interest in the sector, leery that builders’ sales incentives are eating into their profit margins and concerned about high borrowing costs.
—Bloomberg, Orange County Register, 26 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for leery 
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Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 21 Jan. 2025
He is expected to cruise to Senate confirmation, like Trump’s other nominees, despite the misgivings of some Republicans who are leery of his affiliation with Project 2025, the conservative policy playbook that became a magnet for controversy during last year’s election.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 16 Jan. 2025
Insurers have become increasingly leery given the high risk.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 10 Jan. 2025
Still, Wall Street is losing interest in the sector, leery that builders’ sales incentives are eating into their profit margins and concerned about high borrowing costs.
—Bloomberg, Orange County Register, 26 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for leery
Dictionary Entries Near leery
Cite this Entry
“Leery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leery. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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leery
adjective
: suspicious sense 2, wary
leery of strangers
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