as in carefulness
a close attentiveness to avoiding danger
you should have shown a little more guardedness about sharing personal information with someone you just met online
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Recent Examples of guardedness
What stayed with the character was that guardedness, that way of seeing the world, the mistrust.
—
Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
Thankfully, her guardedness with the public hasn’t prevented her from being warm and open in person.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 25 Nov. 2025
Making guardedness and affable self-deprecation part of her identity, Keaton was known for wearing turtlenecks, gloves, and hats that kept her largely covered up, saving emotional vulnerability for her performances.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 11 Oct. 2025
At this point, arguments become a predictable mix of hostility, guardedness and mockery.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
Thankfully, her guardedness with the public hasn’t prevented her from being warm and open in person.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 25 Nov. 2025
Making guardedness and affable self-deprecation part of her identity, Keaton was known for wearing turtlenecks, gloves, and hats that kept her largely covered up, saving emotional vulnerability for her performances.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 11 Oct. 2025
At this point, arguments become a predictable mix of hostility, guardedness and mockery.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guardedness
Noun
-
Organizations can benefit by valuing carefulness and concentration not as an obligation, but as a fundamental pillar of success.—
Heather V. MacArthur,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Just as essential a consideration as carefulness for committee members, though, is speed.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
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However, the researchers added a note of caution, noting that the technology was still in its early stages and could not be deployed at large scales immediately.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Apr. 2026
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The developer is proceeding with caution.—
Catherine Odom,
Miami Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Detroit failed to take care of the ball when the Magic scored 23 points off 20 takeaways.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
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Older adults tend to begin treatment within a month of symptoms starting — but young adults face an average seven-month delay before getting care.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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That prudence by supporters of the center, including County Commissioner Raquel Regalado and Judge Steve Leifman, is now being used against them to keep the center in limbo.—
Jim DeFede,
CBS News,
26 Apr. 2026
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By all accounts, being a milquetoast is a sort of vice—cowardice masquerading as prudence.—
Nikhil Krishnan,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Some of that wariness, though, was paired with reasonable optimism.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2026
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But right now, many foreign acts also feel fear — or at least wariness — about booking substantial tours in the United States.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
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As a professor of a notoriously difficult subject, Green said a teaching approach centered on encouragement and attentiveness has been the key to helping her students succeed.—
Claire Wang,
Oc Register,
30 Apr. 2026
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In Smith’s attentiveness, the painting became a locus of communion, one that linked him to the artist who made it.—
Luis Parrales,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There used to be a cautiousness in rolling out new technology.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
8 Apr. 2026
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One key reason for his cautiousness is the financial burden.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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His quiet tone is not shyness or false modesty but circumspection and a sense of boundaries that imply respect and love for real communication.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
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This circumspection was by design.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Guardedness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guardedness. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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