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 government’s survival on Thursday averted that outcome, at least for the time being.
—Aurelien Breeden, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
In the September 6 TikTok video, Sandra planted herself firmly in the backseat with her eyes averted, giving her owner the cold shoulder.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
Rajoelina released a decree attempting to dissolve the country's lower house of parliament in an apparent bid to avert impeachment, the AP reported, noting that lawmakers ignored the move.
—Alex Nitzberg, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2025
Sutter Health and unionized workers announced a tentative contract agreement Saturday, averting a potential strike across the nonprofit health care provider’s Northern California facilities.
—Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for avert
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Aurelien Breeden, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
In the September 6 TikTok video, Sandra planted herself firmly in the backseat with her eyes averted, giving her owner the cold shoulder.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
Rajoelina released a decree attempting to dissolve the country's lower house of parliament in an apparent bid to avert impeachment, the AP reported, noting that lawmakers ignored the move.
—Alex Nitzberg, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2025
Sutter Health and unionized workers announced a tentative contract agreement Saturday, averting a potential strike across the nonprofit health care provider’s Northern California facilities.
—Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 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 20 Oct. 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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