caution

caution (one) about (someone or something)

To warn one about someone or something. My mom always cautions me about the dangers of texting while driving. You need to caution him about Allie before he falls prey to her usual tricks.
See also: caution

caution (one) against (someone or something)

To warn one about someone or something. My mom always cautions me against texting while driving. You need to caution him against Allie before he falls prey to her usual tricks.
See also: caution

err on the side of caution

To avoid risky or irresponsible behavior; to be very cautious. I like to err on the side of caution and always keep some money in my savings account. Since we don't know where we're going, let's err on the side of caution and leave an hour early.
See also: caution, err, of, on, side

out of an abundance of caution

In an earnest attempt to ensure that any potential danger, risks, or problems are avoided. Out of an abundance of caution, I always make sure I have enough money to cover six months' worth of expenses in my savings account, in case anything ever happened to my job. We believe that the allergic reaction was specific to that patient's genetic makeup, but we've also temporarily stopped administering the drug at that dose out of an abundance of caution.
See also: caution, of, out

throw caution to the wind(s)

To abandon one's cautiousness in order to take a risk. You can't live life completely reserved, you know. You've got to throw caution to the wind every now and then. After my father won a bit of money at the race tracks, he began throwing caution to the winds and gambling everything we had there.
See also: caution, throw
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

caution someone about someone or something

 and caution someone against someone or something
to warn someone against someone or something. Haven't I cautioned you about that before? Hasn't someone cautioned you about Daniel?
See also: caution

throw caution to the wind

Cliché to become very careless. Jane, who is usually cautious, threw caution to the wind and went swimming in the ocean. I don't mind taking a little chance now and then, but I'm not the type of person who throws caution to the wind.
See also: caution, throw, wind
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

throw caution to the winds

Also, throw discretion to the winds. Behave or speak very rashly, as in Throwing caution to the winds, he ran after the truck, or I'm afraid she's thrown discretion to the winds and told everyone about the divorce. This expression uses to the winds in the sense of "utterly vanishing" or "out of existence," a usage dating from the mid-1600s. The first recorded use of throw to the winds was in 1885.
See also: caution, throw, wind
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

err on the side of caution

COMMON If you err on the side of caution, you decide to act in a careful way, rather than take risks. It is better on your first few weights sessions to err on the side of caution, and start with a weight which is lighter than you think you can handle. Note: People use other words instead of caution, according to the subject they are discussing. When I discussed the matter with ministers in July I said that we should err on the side of generosity.
See also: caution, err, of, on, side

throw caution to the wind

or

throw caution to the winds

COMMON If you throw caution to the wind or throw caution to the winds, you do something without worrying about the risks and danger involved. Perhaps I should throw caution to the wind, give up my job and just go travelling. This was no time to think, he decided. He threw caution to the winds and rang the bell of the ground-floor flat.
See also: caution, throw, wind
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

throw caution to the wind (or winds)

act in a completely reckless manner.
See also: caution, throw, wind
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

throw caution to the ˈwind(s)

(often humorous) stop caring about how dangerous something might be; start taking risks: I decided to throw caution to the winds and buy myself a really expensive pair of shoes. He threw caution to the wind and dived in after the child. OPPOSITE: tread carefully, warily, etc.
See also: caution, throw, wind
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • caution (one) about (someone or something)
  • caution about
  • caution (one) against (someone or something)
  • in real life
  • GBG
  • warn (one) away (from someone or something)
  • warn away
  • warn away from
  • tbh
  • CUIC
References in periodicals archive
The figures for girls tell a different story, with one in every 833 of an ethnic minority cautioned or sentenced.
Ethnic divide revealed over youth crime
The data also shows the total number of children who were cautioned or sentenced - regardless of whether it was their first time or not.
Child convictions and cautions fall to record low; IN BRIEF
For this reason, Caution Habitat is directly supervised by the ACPR (the French bank and insurance regulator), while CMH is supervised as part of Credit Mutuel.
Fitch Affirms CM-CIC Caution Habitat SA's IDR at 'A+'; Outlook Stable
"The caution is administered at the start of the interview and must be given if you are being asked questions where it is suspected that you have committed an offence."
Mayor Joe questioned by police; ANDERSON 'ANXIOUS TO HELP' OFFICERS PROBING FRAUD WHICH SAW COUNCIL CHIEF ARRESTED
Cautions don't count as criminal convictions but they can show up on criminal record checks.
65 children under 13 got criminal record for first time last year
The most recent cautions issued for child sex offences came this year, with four cases of sexual assault of a female child aged 13 or over, and one case of sexual activity involving a child under 16, resulted in a caution.
THE CHILD RAPISTS WHO WEREN'T SENT TO PRISON; Police say it's not a 'let off'
Aircraft technical guidance includes warnings, cautions, and notes that highlight essential operation/ maintenance procedures, practices, and conditions that if not strictly observed, could result in damage.
Don't throw caution to the wind!!
At the end of last year, Mr Francis wrote a 16-page letter to ex-Chief Constable Peter Vaughan arguing the caution was wrongly administered and should be deleted.
Director fails to reverse caution on sex offence; JUDGE DOES NOT ACCEPT CASE MADE BY FILMMAKER
A request for his caution to be revoked was refused by South Wales Police in January and he took his case to the Cardiff Civil Justice Centre yesterday.
Man fails to overturn sex offences caution
Magistrates sitting in Huddersfield agreed to adjourn Fowler's case to allow police to administer him with a caution.
Teen's drugs caution
Unless that demonstrates a problem I would hesitate to come to conclusions or comment." There are currently two types of caution available at present - simple cautions and conditional cautions.
POLICE CAUTION WORRIES
Damian Green said a rapid review of when a police officer can recommend a caution would report to the Home Office in May, with the aim of ensuring serious criminals would never escape punishment.
Crackdown pledge on police cautions
BUT A FEW WELL-PLACED CAUTION SIGNS CAN ALERT SOLDIERS TO DANGER AND PROMOTE A SAFER WORKPLACE.
Caution signs for all occasions
Brent "Blink" Conboy and Kitty "Caution" Pettigrew are just two more runaways blending into the landscape of Toronto.
Wynne-Jones, Tim. Blink & Caution
In total, 8,043 people who committed sexual and physical abuse offences against children in the year to April were charged during that time, while 2,764 were given a caution., revealed 28 people who had raped children under 16 received cautions in the year to April.
Child abusers face cautions; IN BRIEF