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

Russia and Turkey reached an agreement in September to create a demilitarized buffer zone in Idlib to forestall a Syrian regime offensive to recapture the northwest province. — Raja Abdulrahim, WSJ, "Syrian, Russian Airstrikes Target Rebels in Last Stronghold," 14 Mar. 2019 Others have become increasingly focused on trying to calm financial markets and forestall any further economic fallout in the U.S. where Trump’s tariffs and the uncertainty surrounding the trade war are being blamed for a slowdown in manufacturing. — Josh Wingrove, Fortune, "China and the U.S. Have Agreed on the First Face-to-Face Trade Talks Since July. No One Expects a Breakthrough," 5 Sep. 2019 His gambit backfired spectacularly as other parties negotiated to form a majority and forestall his rise. — Washington Post, "Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte wins backing to form a new government — this time, without the far right," 30 Aug. 2019 But while the alliance may forestall elections for now, the two parties face an uphill battle to successfully govern together. — NBC News, "Salvini's power grab backfires as Italy inches toward new government," 29 Aug. 2019 In an effort to cut carbon emissions and forestall the climate crisis, California legislators are pushing a new law aimed at helping limit deforestation around the globe. — Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica, "Proposed California Law Would Punish Companies for Failing to Limit Harm to the Planet’s Forests," 7 Aug. 2019 Wrongly suspected of stealing Zeus’s lightning bolt, Percy journeys to the underworld, intent on getting the bolt back and forestalling a war between the Greek gods. — BostonGlobe.com, "The Ticket: What’s happening in the local arts world," 16 July 2019 To forestall imminent budget crisis, party leaders agreed to pile on to the nation’s $1 trillion deficit by adding another $1.7 trillion to the national debt over the next decade. — Rebecca U. Thorpe, The Conversation, "One budget line Congress can agree on: Spending billions on the US military," 14 Aug. 2019 The Fed hasn't dropped its benchmark rate in more than a decade, and as recently as mid-December officials hiked interest rates to forestall a possible overheating in the U.S. economy. — Don Lee, latimes.com, "Federal Reserve, for now, holds key interest rate steady despite pressure from Trump," 19 June 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.