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"cautious" is also used as a crossword clue. If that's what you saw, the answer is often wary (4 letters).
Definitions
showing careful forethought
Word origin
From cauti(on) + -ous. Compare Latin cautus.
Used in a sentence
“He took a few cautious steps toward the cave.”
Source: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0
Used as a crossword answer1 curated clues
01“Careful”8 letters
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