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
Altman later apologized for not alerting law enforcement about the shooter’s ChatGPT logs, which some believe could have averted the shooting.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 1 June 2026
Most remaining lawsuits now center on economic losses alleged by businesses and local governments, including Baltimore, as the court weighs legal arguments that could spur more settlements and avert any trial.
—Michael Kunzelman, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
Analyses after the heat wave confirmed what had averted the crisis.
—Sufan Jiang, Fortune, 30 May 2026
Concerns about TikTok Four months after the US averted a TikTok ban, some lawmakers say Americans still don’t have enough information about whether the deal addresses national security concerns.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for avert
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Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 1 June 2026
Most remaining lawsuits now center on economic losses alleged by businesses and local governments, including Baltimore, as the court weighs legal arguments that could spur more settlements and avert any trial.
—Michael Kunzelman, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
Analyses after the heat wave confirmed what had averted the crisis.
—Sufan Jiang, Fortune, 30 May 2026
Concerns about TikTok Four months after the US averted a TikTok ban, some lawmakers say Americans still don’t have enough information about whether the deal addresses national security concerns.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for avert
Cite this Entry
“Avert.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/avert. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
avert
verb1
: to turn away
avert one's eyes
2
: to keep from happening
averted an accident
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