averted; averting; averts
1
: to turn away or aside (the eyes, one's gaze, etc.) in avoidance
I found the sight so grotesque that I had to avert my eyes …—
John Gregory Dunne
John Gregory Dunne2
: to see coming and ward off : avoid
avert disaster
Examples of avert in a Sentence
He sped up and averted an accident.
The diplomatic talks narrowly averted a war.
an attempt to avert a strike at the plant
Recent Examples on the Web
The two sides reached terms on a renewal after a short-term extension to their previous pact, averting a blackout of Fox News and other nets on YouTube TV.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 10 Sep. 2025
Legislators should realize that a simple law meant to avert potential catastrophic risks seems like an existential risk to those who oppose it.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 10 Sep. 2025
In multiple Southern California cities, disaster has been averted — at least for now.
—Dennis Lin, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
While a sectorial collapse appears to have been averted with the current 19 percent figure, which is on par with neighboring rivals like Indonesia and Vietnam, the question of who pays for the additional duties is a question that continues to loom large.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 9 Sep. 2025
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Todd Spangler, Variety, 10 Sep. 2025
Legislators should realize that a simple law meant to avert potential catastrophic risks seems like an existential risk to those who oppose it.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 10 Sep. 2025
In multiple Southern California cities, disaster has been averted — at least for now.
—Dennis Lin, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
While a sectorial collapse appears to have been averted with the current 19 percent figure, which is on par with neighboring rivals like Indonesia and Vietnam, the question of who pays for the additional duties is a question that continues to loom large.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for avert
Cite this Entry
“Avert.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/avert. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
avert
verb1
: to turn away
avert one's eyes
2
: to keep from happening
averted an accident
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