as in to prevent
to keep from happening by taking action in advance
you can often forestall skidding on the ice simply by driving more slowly
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Recent Examples of forestall
For decades, Chicago mayors have fought uphill battles in the statehouse, but the efforts by some Democratic lawmakers to forestall Johnson are unusual.
—
Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
With the help of TDT-DTECT, AI can help detect strings that appear to have been generated by AI and isolate them earlier in the malware's execution, thereby potentially forestalling adverse consequences before the malware can act.
—John Burek, PC Magazine, 25 Mar. 2026
The former are knee-deep into climate-change politics, which is all about shifting power to planners to forestall some cataclysmic scenario that the experts claim is inevitable.
—Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 20 Mar. 2026
However, new crops and agricultural techniques forestalled Malthus’ catastrophe in the 19th century.
—The Conversation, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for forestall
Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
With the help of TDT-DTECT, AI can help detect strings that appear to have been generated by AI and isolate them earlier in the malware's execution, thereby potentially forestalling adverse consequences before the malware can act.
—John Burek, PC Magazine, 25 Mar. 2026
The former are knee-deep into climate-change politics, which is all about shifting power to planners to forestall some cataclysmic scenario that the experts claim is inevitable.
—Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 20 Mar. 2026
However, new crops and agricultural techniques forestalled Malthus’ catastrophe in the 19th century.
—The Conversation, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for forestall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forestall
Verb
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The shower head and bath fittings were gold plated and a glass door fit snugly between the edge of the bathtub and the shower to prevent water from spilling out everywhere.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 June 2026
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Goldman later cited a Manhattan federal district judge's late May ruling preventing ICE from arresting people attending immigration court during routine, mandatory check-ins.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Concerns about TikTok Four months after the US averted a TikTok ban, some lawmakers say Americans still don’t have enough information about whether the deal addresses national security concerns.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
29 May 2026
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Tran reiterated his call for state and federal investigation and accountability once the crisis has been averted.—
Victoria Le,
Oc Register,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Forestall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forestall. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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