an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
idiom
US
—used to say that it is better and easier to stop a problem, illness, etc., from happening than to stop or correct it after it has started
Examples of an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
—
Julia Forbes, Wired News, 23 June 2025
The Pennsylvania Gazette published an anonymous letter stating that there was no wind on that particular night and that if the proper equipment had been available—an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, as the letter put it—the outcome might have been different.
—Scott Z. Burns, airmail.news, 18 Jan. 2025
In fact, fashion is second only to the electronics in terms of CBP examinations, so an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
—Lauren Parker, Sourcing Journal, 5 Nov. 2024
And, as always, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
—Stefanie Waldek, House Beautiful, 9 Aug. 2023
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.
Julia Forbes, Wired News, 23 June 2025
The Pennsylvania Gazette published an anonymous letter stating that there was no wind on that particular night and that if the proper equipment had been available—an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, as the letter put it—the outcome might have been different.
—Scott Z. Burns, airmail.news, 18 Jan. 2025
In fact, fashion is second only to the electronics in terms of CBP examinations, so an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
—Lauren Parker, Sourcing Journal, 5 Nov. 2024
And, as always, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
—Stefanie Waldek, House Beautiful, 9 Aug. 2023
Cite this Entry
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/an%20ounce%20of%20prevention%20is%20worth%20a%20pound%20of%20cure. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share