as in to avert
to keep from happening by taking action in advance
a lot of problems would have been prevented if we'd just prepared better
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Recent Examples of prevent
The Aggies and Sooners were declared co-champions of the SEC Softball Tournament after rain prevented the game from being played in Athens, Ga., on Saturday.
—
Lauren Merola, New York Times, 12 May 2025
Resurging opposition to fluoridation — the practice of adding fluoride to public water systems at safe levels to prevent tooth decay — has been a nuisance for dentists, researchers and public health experts.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 12 May 2025
Probiotics may help fight and prevent respiratory infections by boosting the immune system and reducing the presence of harmful bacteria and viruses in the respiratory tract.
—Lindsay Curtis, Verywell Health, 12 May 2025
The late-night host played a series of clips of Trump touting his skills as president, from announcing the Gulf of America to stopping money being sent to Gaza to buy condoms for Hamas and preventing transgender mice to winning golf tournaments.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prevent
Lauren Merola, New York Times, 12 May 2025
Resurging opposition to fluoridation — the practice of adding fluoride to public water systems at safe levels to prevent tooth decay — has been a nuisance for dentists, researchers and public health experts.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 12 May 2025
Probiotics may help fight and prevent respiratory infections by boosting the immune system and reducing the presence of harmful bacteria and viruses in the respiratory tract.
—Lindsay Curtis, Verywell Health, 12 May 2025
The late-night host played a series of clips of Trump touting his skills as president, from announcing the Gulf of America to stopping money being sent to Gaza to buy condoms for Hamas and preventing transgender mice to winning golf tournaments.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prevent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prevent
Verb
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The good news is — so long as the estimate holds — those figures hit near the high end and avert the low end of the tracking numbers released by The Hollywood Reporter on April 10, which pegged a $63 million to $77 million opening weekend take in North American theaters.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
3 May 2025
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Eventually, a plea deal averted the death penalty, resulting instead in a life sentence without the possibility of parole.—
Serge F. Kovaleski,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The 80-year period from the end of World War II has been a time of relative peace and stability in part because overwhelming American power precluded smaller nations from acting on their own.—
Colin Pascal,
Baltimore Sun,
1 May 2025
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But, even for specialists, the current system precludes them from ordering tests or prescribing therapies for caregivers.—
Rebecca T Brown,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 May 2025
Verb
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The absence of ducts avoids renovation costs and minimizes construction inconvenience.—
Jon Stojan,
USA Today,
13 May 2025
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In March, Honda had reportedly decided to produce its next-generation Civic hybrid in the U.S. state of Indiana, instead of Mexico, to avoid potential tariffs on one of its top-selling car models, Reuters reported.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
13 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prevent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prevent. Accessed 16 May. 2025.
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