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
By some interpretations, the fawner resembles Scheherazade, forestalling death through creative feats that appease the men around her.
—
Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
Phased retirement can also help companies to manage the consequences of the looming workforce contraction by forestalling brain drain and smoothing succession planning — all while preserving the institutional knowledge and relationships that help companies thrive.
—Mary Moreland, Fortune, 31 Dec. 2025
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
Could see the futility of forestalling the harmful acts of an addict.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
Phased retirement can also help companies to manage the consequences of the looming workforce contraction by forestalling brain drain and smoothing succession planning — all while preserving the institutional knowledge and relationships that help companies thrive.
—Mary Moreland, Fortune, 31 Dec. 2025
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
Could see the futility of forestalling the harmful acts of an addict.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forestalling
Verb
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The loss dropped the Celtics to 38-20, preventing them from clearing a benchmark all but three NBA champions since 1980 have cleared.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
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Autonomous vehicles hold the exciting promise of preventing deaths and injuries caused by behavioral factors, including impaired driving, if deployed responsibly and safely and in collaboration with the right community and city stakeholders.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Understanding the gravity of a red flag warning and adhering to these precautions is paramount in averting wildfires during these perilous conditions.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
27 Feb. 2026
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In some ways, the moment was a replay of 1977, but this time Woodruff looked directly at Walker, instead of averting his eyes.—
Jennifer Gonnerman,
New Yorker,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Forestalling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forestalling. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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