forestall

fore·stall | \ fȯr-ˈstȯl

forestalled; forestalling; forestalls

Definition of forestall

1 : to prevent the normal trading in by buying or diverting goods or by persuading persons to raise prices forestalling the wheat harvest and selling it at three times its cost— G. B. Shaw

2 archaic : intercept

3 obsolete : obstruct, beset

4 : to exclude, hinder, or prevent by prior occupation or measures Negotiations failed to forestall the conflict.

5 : to get ahead of : anticipate detailed explanations intended to forestall questions

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Choose the Right Synonym for forestall

prevent, anticipate, forestall mean to deal with beforehand. prevent implies taking advance measures against something possible or probable. measures taken to prevent leaks anticipate may imply merely getting ahead of another by being a precursor or forerunner or it may imply checking another's intention by acting first. anticipated the question by making a statement forestall implies a getting ahead so as to stop or interrupt something in its course. hoped to forestall the sale

Examples of forestall in a Sentence

Negotiations failed to forestall the conflict. His comments were meant to forestall criticism of his proposal. He forestalled critics by offering a defense of the project.

Recent Examples on the Web With unemployment low, most of Powell’s predecessors would have focused on the threat of high inflation and the possibility of raising rates to forestall it. — Washington Post, "Jerome meets Jasmine: Fed chief observes economic struggles," 25 Nov. 2019 With the economy expanding for an 11th year and unemployment near a 50-year low, most of Powell’s predecessors would have focused on the threat of high inflation and the possibility of raising rates to forestall it. — Christopher Rugaber, Twin Cities, "An emerging priority for Powell Fed: The plight of the poor," 24 Nov. 2019 They could also be seen as an effort to forestall any possible federal intervention into the union. — Eric D. Lawrence, Detroit Free Press, "UAW to sell ex-president's lavish Up North cabin as part of ethics cleanup," 13 Nov. 2019 The push to forestall more investment in China is part of a broader effort by some officials in Washington to separate ties between the world’s two largest economies. — New York Times, "Chinese Investment Pits Wall Street Against Washington," 28 Oct. 2019 To forestall an invasion, the U.S. agreed to get the S.D.F. to withdraw up to nine miles from the Turkish border. — Robin Wright, The New Yorker, "Turkey, Syria, the Kurds, and Trump’s Abandonment of Foreign Policy," 20 Oct. 2019 Critics have called the board a bid to forestall regulation or even an eventual breakup of the company as Facebook faces antitrust investigations. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "New Facebook oversight board results to be public, exec says," 18 Oct. 2019 The statement made no mention of US efforts to forestall the invasion, leading many to conclude that Trump was, in effect, turning a blind eye to a slaughter of Kurds. — BostonGlobe.com, "Joseph Votel, a retired Army general who headed Central Command’s military operations in Syria until last spring, wrote on The Atlantic website Tuesday that mutual trust was a key ingredient in the US partnership with the Kurds.," 9 Oct. 2019 The statement made no mention of U.S. efforts to forestall the invasion, leading many to conclude that Trump was, in effect, turning a blind eye to a slaughter of Kurds. — Robert Burns, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Trump shifts tone on Turkey in effort to halt Syria invasion," 8 Oct. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'forestall.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

7 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Forestall.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forestall. Accessed 8 December 2019.

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More Definitions for forestall

forestall

verb