How to Use cautious in a Sentence

cautious

adjective
  • You cannot be overly cautious when you're driving in snow.
  • He answered the question with a cautious reply.
  • Any cautious tourist will guard her passport.
  • Italy struck a cautious note, too.
    — Will Clark, NBC news, 16 Mar. 2026
  • Frye is still cautious, though.
    — Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2025
  • To err on the cautious side, two hours is a good rule of thumb.
    — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 30 Apr. 2026
  • That is more cautious than many in his party would like.
    — Ian King, CNBC, 13 May 2026
  • Say yes to things your cautious self might decline.
    — Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 2 Nov. 2025
  • Be cautious of items that are lint magnets.
    — Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 17 Feb. 2026
  • Be cautious not to lose any grains during this step.
    — Aksha Mittapalli, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2026
  • House added that certain groups may need to be more cautious.
    — Kathleen Ferraro, Verywell Health, 13 May 2026
  • Whitmore is cautious not to draw causal links.
    — Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 11 May 2026
  • Hang on, and be cautious about starting him on the road.
    — Owen Poindexter, New York Times, 16 June 2026
  • To me, the turkeys seem very, very cautious at this time.
    — Bruce Brady, Outdoor Life, 8 Apr. 2026
  • Be cautious of outliers on both ends.
    — Sharon Wu, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026
  • Building a stronger rainy day fund isn’t the cautious choice.
    — Mike Gatto, Mercury News, 23 June 2026
  • Many are cautious—and these are the people who have the most to lose.
    — Phoebe Weston, WIRED, 17 Dec. 2022
  • Many bites happen when the snake is picked up, so be very cautious.
    — Dr. C. E. Kuschel, Outdoor Life, 9 Apr. 2026
  • But be cautious about flipping your shares.
    — Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
  • But her outlook is more cautious.
    — Pau Mosquera, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
  • Yet, most adults are cautious about AI and health.
    — Kate Ruder, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Yet, most adults are cautious about AI and health.
    — Kate Ruder, jsonline.com, 17 Sep. 2025
  • Yet, most adults are cautious about AI and health.
    — Kate Ruder, NPR, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Be cautious when drinking large amounts.
    — T'keyah Bazin, Verywell Health, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Both of them are urging people to be cautious of scams.
    — Nakell Williams, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026
  • Be cautious as this acid is dangerous and can kill plants and grass.
    — Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Jan. 2024
  • True contenders are not cautious.
    — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
  • Most are cautious — rightly so.
    — Gwera Kiwana, semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2025
  • Others were even more cautious.
    — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025
  • While the plant is non-toxic to pets, be cautious when handling it.
    — Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 24 May 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cautious.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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