as in prevented
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 forestalled
The Giants forestalled the question of whether to keep Melvin at the helm with their impressive run in late August and early September, and that Los Angeles Dodgers series answered it.
—
Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forestalled
Verb
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That shutdown was blamed on a network connectivity problem that prevented controllers from seeing train locations on the tracks, which made safe operation of the system impossible.—
Rick Hurd,
Mercury News,
16 Oct. 2025
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There’s also the issue of money that may have prevented her from returning for the 2025 fashion show.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Duane averted his eyes to avoid a direct challenging stare that might motivate the sow.—
Marguerite Reiss,
Outdoor Life,
9 Oct. 2025
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In April 2011, leaders of both parties came to an agreement following weeks of difficult negotiations and ultimately averted a government shutdown, as recapped by President Barack Obama.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forestalled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forestalled. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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