cautionary
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Human civilizations across the ages have understood this to be an important lesson, which is how gold became the go-to cautionary symbol for greed, vanity, and the hollow existence to which they lead.
From Slate • Jun. 11, 2026
Franco’s situation serves as a cautionary tale for MLB teams that hand out long-term contracts years before players become free agents.
From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2026
But that teaches another more cautionary lesson about collecting nemeses: Salieri never figured out how to channel his gnawing envy into motivation.
From Salon • May 16, 2026
Just as the fantastic results shouldn't guarantee Carrick gets the job, these cautionary underlying numbers shouldn't necessarily prevent him from getting it either.
From BBC • May 8, 2026
Whatever cautionary value the tale may have had was thus lost, and now here she was, in a hayloft with a pirate, and rather pleased about it, too.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
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Vocabulary lists containing cautionary
ACT Reading Test: Words to Capture Tone, List 4
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Tone and Point of View, List 3
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World Without Fish
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