as in to prevent
to keep from happening by taking action in advance
brushing regularly should obviate the need for frequent trips to the dentist
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Recent Examples of obviate
The problem for Ruto (and Kenya) is that the economy is faring just well-enough to obviate the need for a sober look at the root causes of the protests and general public disgruntlement.
—
Ken Opalo, semafor.com, 21 July 2025
Among other recommendations for reform, Open the Books advised that routine records such as staff lists, payrolls, and royalty data could be publicly posted, obviating the need for staffers to respond to common requests for large datasets.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 18 July 2025
But the fact that the document is meant for experts doesn’t obviate the need for its overarching message to at least be decipherable to the public.
—Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 23 June 2025
So, a deal for Anthony could be in the offing, which would obviate any concerns about potential arbitration proceedings.
—Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for obviate
Ken Opalo, semafor.com, 21 July 2025
Among other recommendations for reform, Open the Books advised that routine records such as staff lists, payrolls, and royalty data could be publicly posted, obviating the need for staffers to respond to common requests for large datasets.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 18 July 2025
But the fact that the document is meant for experts doesn’t obviate the need for its overarching message to at least be decipherable to the public.
—Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 23 June 2025
So, a deal for Anthony could be in the offing, which would obviate any concerns about potential arbitration proceedings.
—Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for obviate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obviate
Verb
-
On the southwestern side of the fire, hand crews and dozers began building new containment lines along Sycamore Ridge Road to prevent the westward spread of the fire from the Dinkey Creek drainage and cut the fire off close to its active edge.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
6 Sep. 2025
-
When in a group, space out to prevent the current from transferring between individuals.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Senate Democrats are attempting to wield their leverage over Republicans, who will need their help in a few weeks to clear a 60-vote filibuster and avert the latest shutdown deadline.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
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Advertisement The tough talk coming from Democrats now is not all that different from what some of them were saying in March, just before Schumer and other Senate Democrats gave in and averted a shutdown.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Some Iranian lawmakers have warned that implementing snap-back sanctions could lead to Iran’s withdrawal from the NPT, an action that could preclude negotiation indefinitely.—
Robert J. Einhorn,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Aug. 2025
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As scholars in the field, the expertise of the authors generally precluded the need for fact-checking, so inaccuracies inevitably occurred.—
Joelle Renstrom
August 28,
Literary Hub,
28 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Obviate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obviate. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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