forestall

verb

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

But Newsom also is taking nothing for granted, forestalling conversations about his future until the present race is concluded. — Scott Wilson, Washington Post, "California’s race for governor has become a referendum on resistance," 3 June 2018 The two groups have been fighting tooth and nail for the past year, with the free-market faction succeeding until now in forestalling an action conservatives warn could have severe economic consequences. — Molly Ball, Time, "President Trump's Tariffs Were His First Big Break With the GOP," 8 Mar. 2018 That prompted Ryan and GOP leaders to convene negotiations aimed at writing a consensus Republican bill that could pass the House to forestall passage of more liberal bipartisan bills that would pass with mostly Democratic votes. — Anchorage Daily News, "GOP immigration bills backed by Trump appear headed for defeat," 21 June 2018 That suggests the Fed is less likely to accelerate rate hikes preemptively to forestall potentially faster price gains. — Christopher A. Rugaber, chicagotribune.com, "Fed chair signals gradual rate hikes in tame inflation era," 20 June 2018 My own principal goal is to keep people healthy for as long as possible to forestall disease and decline. — Robert Weisman, BostonGlobe.com, "End-of-life software has a problem: Users who don’t want to think about it," 10 Feb. 2018 The assumption was that rebuilding the economies of the rest of Europe was critical not just to averting political crisis there, but to building a bulwark of democratic, market-economy allies to forestall further Soviet expansion. — Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, "US-Europe ties and the audacity of July 1948," 9 July 2018 The decision will forestall more draconian curbs on Chinese investment that the White House had been considering, such as limiting investment in technology and manufacturing industries by declaring an economic emergency. — New York Times, "Trump Backs Softer Restrictions on Chinese Investment," 27 June 2018 Many tech companies are already working behind the scenes to forestall such an outcome — particularly Apple, which assembles the vast majority of its products in China. — Russell Brandom, The Verge, "Gadget makers are bracing for Trump’s trade war," 20 June 2018

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.