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
After that, Riecken claimed that his faith had been restored; Martin, soothed, channelled a psychic message explaining how the flood had been averted.
—Shayla Love, New Yorker, 17 Dec. 2025
Supporters said the legislation will avert the need for drastic cuts to the Chicago area's mass transit systems without a significant statewide tax hike.
—Elyssa Kaufman, CBS News, 16 Dec. 2025
Still, after bashing Republicans for months on the urgency of averting the cost cliff, Democrats would also face their own pressures to swallow the policy changes in order to secure an extension of the subsidies — and relief for millions of Americans.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 15 Dec. 2025
The vote, scheduled by Republicans as leverage during the recent 43-day government shutdown, leaves little time before the holiday recess to avert premium hikes, some expected to double or triple, including in Tennessee.
—Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for avert
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Shayla Love, New Yorker, 17 Dec. 2025
Supporters said the legislation will avert the need for drastic cuts to the Chicago area's mass transit systems without a significant statewide tax hike.
—Elyssa Kaufman, CBS News, 16 Dec. 2025
Still, after bashing Republicans for months on the urgency of averting the cost cliff, Democrats would also face their own pressures to swallow the policy changes in order to secure an extension of the subsidies — and relief for millions of Americans.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 15 Dec. 2025
The vote, scheduled by Republicans as leverage during the recent 43-day government shutdown, leaves little time before the holiday recess to avert premium hikes, some expected to double or triple, including in Tennessee.
—Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 12 Dec. 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 Dec. 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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