as in averts
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 prevents
Flexi-form technology prevents creasing, while light refracting pigments blur the look of fine lines and texture.
—
Tory Johnson, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2026
This removes debounce delay, prevents mechanical wear, and eliminates issues like accidental double-clicking.
—Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 6 Apr. 2026
The experimental treatment would use CRISPR, a gene-editing tool likened to biological scissors, to make precise cuts in the DNA to turn off a liver gene that prevents lipids — fatty substances including LDL cholesterol and triglycerides — from being cleared from the blood.
—David Cox, NBC news, 6 Apr. 2026
This prevents oversaturation, which can lead to mildew or water marks.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
Indoor cameras come equipped with a mechanical privacy shutter, which audibly engages and physically prevents streaming when not in use.
—Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2026
And there's red tape that prevents them from crossing state lines to provide free care.
—Brit McCandless Farmer, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026
This prevents clutter and gives each piece more impact.
—Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Apr. 2026
Helium enables smooth production of semiconductors since the gas prevents unwanted chemical reactions in the manufacturing process.
—Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2026
Tory Johnson, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2026
This removes debounce delay, prevents mechanical wear, and eliminates issues like accidental double-clicking.
—Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 6 Apr. 2026
The experimental treatment would use CRISPR, a gene-editing tool likened to biological scissors, to make precise cuts in the DNA to turn off a liver gene that prevents lipids — fatty substances including LDL cholesterol and triglycerides — from being cleared from the blood.
—David Cox, NBC news, 6 Apr. 2026
This prevents oversaturation, which can lead to mildew or water marks.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
Indoor cameras come equipped with a mechanical privacy shutter, which audibly engages and physically prevents streaming when not in use.
—Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2026
And there's red tape that prevents them from crossing state lines to provide free care.
—Brit McCandless Farmer, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026
This prevents clutter and gives each piece more impact.
—Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Apr. 2026
Helium enables smooth production of semiconductors since the gas prevents unwanted chemical reactions in the manufacturing process.
—Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prevents
Verb
-
For now and unless Williams changes his mind again, the move averts a potential historic litigation where Washington planned to sue Williams over his plan to switch schools.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The Corps project averts potential catastrophic flooding that could lay siege to about 475,000 residents, California and the nation, according to the government’s court documents.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
That precludes Sikh members from participating in local democracy, said Mandeep Singh, the regional director of the Jakara Movement, a nonprofit for young Sikhs to advocate for their religion.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Some drones rely on AI to acquire targets because electronic jamming precludes remote control by human operators.—
Jon R. Lindsay,
The Conversation,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prevents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prevents. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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