as in preventing
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 forestalling
Impressive as that is, though, forestalling a hostage situation is not really in her wheelhouse, and Nolan grabs Summerville’s gun, kicking out Elsbeth and Summerville while trapping the store’s staff and one customer.
—
Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
Those efforts were defensive, aimed at forestalling oversight that might slow growth.
—Paulo Carvão, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
Those efforts were defensive, aimed at forestalling oversight that might slow growth.
—Paulo Carvão, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forestalling
Verb
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Through several administrations, the filibuster has been weaponized on both sides, preventing the governing party from passing key legislations—including blocking civil rights legislation.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
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Since then, they've been forced to work remotely — at a time when the government was doling out return-to-office mandates — preventing access to labs and crippling the center's mission of embedding NASA climate scientists within international academia.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Broadway musicians have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract, averting the possibility of a strike.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
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Since then, a nonprofit called Mirror Biology Dialogues Fund has sponsored a series of meetings to develop recommendations aimed at averting the threat scientists think mirror life could pose.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forestalling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forestalling. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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