Thesaurus results for CAUTIONARY

cautionary

adjective

Definition of cautionary

as in warning

serving as or offering a warning the story of King Midas is a cautionary tale about the perils of wishing for something—you just might get it

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of cautionary Theranos is, in many ways, a cautionary tale and a relic of 2010s Silicon Valley. — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 16 Oct. 2026 CoreWeave, whose debt is showing signs of distress, has become the sector's latest cautionary tale. — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026 The point is, this situation was an epic failure that will be brought up as a cautionary blooper for years to come. — Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026 But Gurdon doesn’t hold up the caprices and improvisations of her childhood as either a model or a cautionary tale. — Danny Heitman, Christian Science Monitor, 15 Oct. 2026 Less clear is whether the cautionary tale will sway other businesses. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026 This narrative of the woes of leadership could serve as a cautionary tale for the few dozen men and women in both of America’s political parties currently searching their souls and consulting their spouses about whether to run for president. — Ben Smith, semafor.com, 13 Oct. 2026 Jefferies Blake Anderson also issued a cautionary note on Ugg sales due to potential headwinds from El Niño. — Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026 In my own cautionary tale, Sister needs redemption as much as Scrooge does; events of the past have made her bitter, ungenerous, and generally no fun to be around. — Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cautionary

warning

Adjective

The bureau also will post more warning notices at 750 livestock sale facilities and review other potential changes to federal regulations.

— SCOTT SONNER, Star Tribune, 27 July 2021
In response, statistical authorities around the world could do little but issue warning press releases.

— Andrew Whitby, Time, 17 Apr. 2020

Definition of warning

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caution

cautionary

cautioned

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“Cautionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cautionary. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of cautionary

adjective

Example Sentences

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