as in safeguard
a measure taken to preclude loss or injury
as parents of young children, they have taken the usual precaution of locking up their household cleansers
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Recent Examples of precaution
For people, that starts with taking precautions when enjoying the outdoors, including wearing long sleeves, pants and tall socks, and tucking shirts into pants, and pant legs into socks, Sherpa said.
—
Deena Butterfield, Chicago Tribune, 24 July 2025
This precaution minimizes electrical hazards during flooding.
—Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 23 July 2025
To stay safe in the sun, take precautions like wearing sunscreen, covering up, and avoiding peak sunlight hours.
—Karen Berger, Verywell Health, 21 July 2025
Elderly persons, children and individuals with respiratory illnesses are particularly susceptible to elevated air pollution levels and should take extra precautions to avoid exposure.
—Jason Green, Mercury News, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for precaution
Deena Butterfield, Chicago Tribune, 24 July 2025
This precaution minimizes electrical hazards during flooding.
—Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 23 July 2025
To stay safe in the sun, take precautions like wearing sunscreen, covering up, and avoiding peak sunlight hours.
—Karen Berger, Verywell Health, 21 July 2025
Elderly persons, children and individuals with respiratory illnesses are particularly susceptible to elevated air pollution levels and should take extra precautions to avoid exposure.
—Jason Green, Mercury News, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for precaution
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precaution
Noun
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Show who’s accountable, what safeguards exist, and why automation supports (not replaces) your workforce.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
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Similarly, Grok 4 may have had less emphasis on eliminating bias in its training or fewer safeguards in place to prevent such outputs.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
11 July 2025
Noun
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Padlocks, sickles and other objects made of iron, a metal said to possess anti-demonic powers, were stashed in the grave as preventives.—
Franz Lidz,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2023
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But although human vaccines function primarily as preventives, offering immunity to animals such as black-footed ferrets can be a conservation strategy of last resort.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
15 June 2023
Noun
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Salmon and other fish populations, deprived of hundreds of miles of quiet pools to lay their eggs and for the juvenile fish to survive and thrive, shrank by about 95%, which led the federal government to enact protections for some salmon populations.—
Debra Utacia Krol,
AZCentral.com,
21 July 2025
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Yet despite promises from EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to better protect the public from PFAS compounds, efforts to weaken current protections are already under way.—
David Michaels,
The Atlantic,
20 July 2025
Noun
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Unusually low prices that seem too good to be true—especially in popular tourist destinations or during peak seasons—should be viewed with caution.—
Katie Nadworny,
Travel + Leisure,
18 July 2025
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Vitamin C supplements may be beneficial in certain situations, but they should be used with caution and under the guidance of a healthcare professional.—
Sarah Jividen,
Verywell Health,
18 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Precaution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precaution. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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