as in wary
having or showing a close attentiveness to avoiding danger or trouble
a guarded man who knew better than to reveal such delicate information guarded actions
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in protected
to drive danger or attack away from
guard the quarterback so he doesn't get sacked
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in blockaded
to disallow entry into (a place) by means of a physical barrier at the entry point
a fire-breathing dragon guarded the entrance to the castle
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of guarded
Bryce Miller Columnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Jan. 2022
After his relationship with Jan (Amy Ryan) ended dramatically, Charles (Steve Martin) is even more guarded with his heart in season two.
—Emma Fraser and Sophie Brookover, Town & Country, 21 Dec. 2022
Julia Amberger, Nanni Fontana, Marzio Mian, & Nicola Scevola (tr. Elettra Pauletto), The Dial, 3 Apr. 2025
Taiwan’s western coastline, facing the Chinese mainland, has relatively few beaches or ports where landing is easy, and those areas are relatively well guarded.
—Chris Buckley, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for guarded
Adjective
You’re very guarded.
—Bryce Miller Columnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Jan. 2022
After his relationship with Jan (Amy Ryan) ended dramatically, Charles (Steve Martin) is even more guarded with his heart in season two.
—Emma Fraser and Sophie Brookover, Town & Country, 21 Dec. 2022
Verb
The docks and logistics areas, which are managed by the Maltese Federation of Aquaculture Producers, are as tightly guarded as a military zone.
—Julia Amberger, Nanni Fontana, Marzio Mian, & Nicola Scevola (tr. Elettra Pauletto), The Dial, 3 Apr. 2025
Taiwan’s western coastline, facing the Chinese mainland, has relatively few beaches or ports where landing is easy, and those areas are relatively well guarded.
—Chris Buckley, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for guarded
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guarded
Adjective
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Judge, always wary of self-congratulation, downplayed his contributions.—
Brendan Kuty,
New York Times,
25 July 2025
-
Those who did speak were wary of unintended consequences, particularly on special education or immigrant students.—
Cayla Bamberger,
New York Daily News,
24 July 2025
Verb
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Just as Warner Bros had given Jane’s true creative freedom, from their recording sessions to making their own videos, American facilitated and protected Deconstruction’s art.—
Aaron Gilbreath,
SPIN,
31 Dec. 2024
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But the ecosystem is far from protected, and there are now more than 750 million devices vulnerable to attack.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes,
31 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Just a few months prior, Blackbeard and his small pirate flotilla had blockaded Charleston, South Carolina, for close to a week.—
Eli Wizevich,
Smithsonian Magazine,
22 Nov. 2024
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Military vehicles and local and state police blockaded the route into the town center.—
Jessica Pishko,
The New Yorker,
16 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Be cautious using public Wi-Fi Avoid logging into accounts on public Wi-Fi or always use a VPN.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
20 July 2025
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But regulators have been skeptical and taken a cautious approach.—
Josh Funk,
Fortune,
18 July 2025
Verb
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This rivalry continued into Survivor Series 2012, where Punk defended his title in a triple threat match against Ryback and John Cena.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
15 Mar. 2025
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Civil-liberties organizations have defended neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan on the basis that, unless there is free speech for the most contemptible members of society, there cannot be free speech for all.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
The New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Students and their allies barricaded themselves inside the hall with furniture and padlocks in a major escalation of campus protests.—
Jake Offenhartz,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2025
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All other streets along the western side of Ocean Drive will be barricaded.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The hamstring injury Mount suffered overextending his leg in the Manchester derby in December kept him out until March, and Amorim was careful to reintroduce him — and praised his diligence in returning to fitness.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
25 July 2025
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The trailer is careful to showcase the film’s scale – fighter planes soar, speedboats roar, trains careen, and cities flash by in a blur – while keeping plot details tantalizingly out of reach.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
25 July 2025
Adjective
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The alert impacts regions ranging from the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula to the southernmost counties, including major cities such as Detroit, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, and Traverse City.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 July 2025
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Be alert to warning signs: Educate yourself about the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
13 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Guarded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guarded. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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