as in interfering
to act as a go-between for opposing sides
intervened in the argument before any real harm was done
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Recent Examples of intervening
Over the intervening 25 years, the landscape across an 18,000-square-mile expanse, larger than the state of Maryland, has undergone an extensive reshaping.
—
Amy Green, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
The strategic rationale for intervening in Venezuela — as opposed to deploying all that military might in Asia or Europe, say — is no clearer.
—Andreas Kluth, Boston Herald, 7 Jan. 2026
Growth slowed down at times during that period and in some of the intervening years.
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 7 Jan. 2026
The veteran broadcaster might be wise to avoid intervening in any more household scuffles as the NFL Playoffs begin.
—Jordy Fee-Platt, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
The good news is, there's a lot of evidence that intervening early and helping a child to communicate or helping a child develop motor skills is a powerful tool, and tracking milestones can help your health care provider recognize signs that your child might benefit from support earlier.
—Miranda Rake, Parents, 3 Jan. 2026
And over the Christmas holiday, the president fired missiles into Nigeria, intervening in Nigerian civil strife, again, with no pretense of any kind of authorization by anyone other than the president at his own whim.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 31 Dec. 2025
Police said the son was reportedly shot while intervening during an argument between the suspect and his mother.
—Briauna Brown, CBS News, 29 Dec. 2025
Feeling hopeless, George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) is a man considering suicide while a wingless guardian angel from heaven, Clarence (Henry Travers), is tasked with intervening.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Dec. 2025
Amy Green, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
The strategic rationale for intervening in Venezuela — as opposed to deploying all that military might in Asia or Europe, say — is no clearer.
—Andreas Kluth, Boston Herald, 7 Jan. 2026
Growth slowed down at times during that period and in some of the intervening years.
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 7 Jan. 2026
The veteran broadcaster might be wise to avoid intervening in any more household scuffles as the NFL Playoffs begin.
—Jordy Fee-Platt, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
The good news is, there's a lot of evidence that intervening early and helping a child to communicate or helping a child develop motor skills is a powerful tool, and tracking milestones can help your health care provider recognize signs that your child might benefit from support earlier.
—Miranda Rake, Parents, 3 Jan. 2026
And over the Christmas holiday, the president fired missiles into Nigeria, intervening in Nigerian civil strife, again, with no pretense of any kind of authorization by anyone other than the president at his own whim.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 31 Dec. 2025
Police said the son was reportedly shot while intervening during an argument between the suspect and his mother.
—Briauna Brown, CBS News, 29 Dec. 2025
Feeling hopeless, George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) is a man considering suicide while a wingless guardian angel from heaven, Clarence (Henry Travers), is tasked with intervening.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intervening
Verb
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In May 2025, an individual was arrested at the Phelps Street home on drug possession, criminal trespass and interfering charges, according to the warrant affidavit.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
7 Jan. 2026
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In it, Roosevelt built on the Monroe Doctrine, which was formulated originally by President James Monroe to warn European powers away from interfering in the region.—
Scott Neuman,
NPR,
2 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The justices’ intervention on Friday highlights the Court’s growing role in mediating the boundaries of executive authority over entitlement spending, as Washington continues to wrestle with how best to balance fiscal discipline and social welfare amid rising costs.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
8 Nov. 2025
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To deal with stress, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends making time to unwind through practicing gratitude, doing relaxing activities, mediating and journaling.—
Sandra Rose Salathe,
Flow Space,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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However, almost all of the respondents who agreed with this statement envisioned the National Guard interceding nonviolently to stop violent protests and riots.—
Ryan Kennedy,
The Conversation,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Intervening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intervening. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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