Other Words from prevent

preventability \ pri-ˌven-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē

\ noun

preventable or less commonly preventible \ pri-ˈven-tə-bəl

\ adjective

preventer noun

Choose the Right Synonym for prevent

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 prevent in a Sentence

Seatbelts in cars often prevent serious injuries. Can exercise and a healthy diet prevent heart disease? The accident could have been prevented. He grabbed my arm to prevent me from falling. Bad weather prevented us from leaving. How are you going to prevent him from finding out about the party? See More

Recent Examples on the Web Take steps to prevent young children from entering the car themselves and becoming trapped, including locking the car while it's parked at home. — Emmarie Huetteman, CBS News, 3 Aug. 2022 Some Republicans, such as Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, say the guardrails are not strong enough to prevent US technology from leaking to China. — BostonGlobe.com, 3 Aug. 2022 Today, transplant surgeons must scramble to stay ahead of ischemia and prevent organs from going too long without blood supply. — Evan Bush, NBC News, 3 Aug. 2022 Wary of the reaction from China, the Biden administration discouraged but did not prevent Pelosi from visiting Taiwan. — Matthew Lee, ajc, 3 Aug. 2022 Methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, is roughly 80 times more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, meaning that reducing such leaks is vital to prevent the planet from warming further. — Grace Segers, The New Republic, 2 Aug. 2022 The law, designed to prevent bad projects from getting built, instead is preventing any project from getting built. — Brentan Alexander, Forbes, 2 Aug. 2022 Some soaker hoses are equipped with a clog-resistant fabric cover to prevent clogs from soil, but internal calcium buildup from hard water can still result. — James Fitzgerald, Popular Mechanics, 2 Aug. 2022 Singapore authorities say the strict penalties deter drug crimes and have helped prevent major drug syndicates from establishing themselves in the country. — Feliz Solomon, WSJ, 2 Aug. 2022 See More

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