as in preventative
concerned with or serving to keep something from happening
prior to the game, we moved the furniture out of the way as a precautionary measure
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Recent Examples of precautionary
One officer was taken to a hospital for precautionary reasons.
—
Doug Myers, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
Roberts said the back-to-back off days were precautionary and there is no expectation that Smith will need more extensive time off.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 26 Apr. 2026
Eze felt discomfort early in the second half, but indications are that his withdrawal in the 54th minute was more precautionary.
—Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Harris was a late scratch from the lineup as a precautionary measure after tightness in his left quad forced him to leave the previous day's victory over Washington.
—ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
Hwang told the Collegian that Choi spoke to the male student involved as a precautionary measure.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Apr. 2026
The thousands of tremors suggested that either an eruption or a major earthquake was imminent, and a precautionary evacuation plan was activated.
—Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 23 Apr. 2026
While many departures could be precautionary rather than permanent, the figures point to a rupture in what had been a steady migration from Britain to the Gulf.
—Emma Graham,sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2026
Southwest Airlines described the maneuver as precautionary and said the pilots were responding to weather conditions at the time.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Doug Myers, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
Roberts said the back-to-back off days were precautionary and there is no expectation that Smith will need more extensive time off.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 26 Apr. 2026
Eze felt discomfort early in the second half, but indications are that his withdrawal in the 54th minute was more precautionary.
—Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Harris was a late scratch from the lineup as a precautionary measure after tightness in his left quad forced him to leave the previous day's victory over Washington.
—ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
Hwang told the Collegian that Choi spoke to the male student involved as a precautionary measure.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Apr. 2026
The thousands of tremors suggested that either an eruption or a major earthquake was imminent, and a precautionary evacuation plan was activated.
—Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 23 Apr. 2026
While many departures could be precautionary rather than permanent, the figures point to a rupture in what had been a steady migration from Britain to the Gulf.
—Emma Graham,sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2026
Southwest Airlines described the maneuver as precautionary and said the pilots were responding to weather conditions at the time.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precautionary
Adjective
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The book, the first in a series, is an extension of MindUP, Hawn's preventative mental health program that's been utilized in schools for 20-plus years to teach kids about the human brain and how to regulate emotions.—
Eric Andersson,
PEOPLE,
28 Apr. 2026
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While aiming to ensure that the brand is growing with the right franchisees, Castle Rock Hormone Health is continuing to build its presence at the intersection of personalized medicine, preventative care, and scalable healthcare delivery.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Other goals include avoiding misdiagnoses, properly managing disease, identifying people for clinical trials and making headway on preventive therapies.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
-
The preventive encumbrance can be lifted in seconds — but only by the rightful owner.—
Lew Sichelman,
Miami Herald,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Precautionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precautionary. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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