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Better safe than sorry

Cultural  

  1. It is better to act cautiously beforehand than to suffer afterward.

better safe than sorry Idioms  

  1. Being careful may avoid disaster, as in I'm not taking any short-cuts—better safe than sorry. This cautionary phrase appeared as better sure than sorry in 1837.

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.

Since your emergency may not come with a forecast and time to prepare, better safe than sorry.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 1, 2022

Metro riders and Metro workers will be inconvenienced for a bit, but as the saying goes, better safe than sorry.

From Washington Times • Oct. 18, 2021

"So it strikes me as kind of a better safe than sorry decision."

From Salon • Sep. 18, 2021

Yes, your ex would need physical access to get into those devices, but better safe than sorry.

From Fox News • Aug. 21, 2021

Finding his way back would probably be no problem, but better safe than sorry.

From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.