as in to prevent
to keep from happening by taking action in advance
brushing regularly should obviate the need for frequent trips to the dentist
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Recent Examples of obviate
The area vacated by that project — more than 30 acres — is large enough to build a new arena, obviating the need to tear down City Hall for that purpose.
—
Mark Lamster
architecture Critic, Dallas Morning News, 11 Mar. 2026
Dan Lawrence’s son, Luke, piloting Ariel, which once belonged to the Roosevelts’ neighbor Archie Rogers, took the first heat, and then the second, obviating the need for a third.
—Ben McGrath, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
Anthropic is supposed to be able to obviate what Workday does in human resources and finance.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 20 Feb. 2026
This imposition of consensus obviates the rather mysterious and ad hoc process of collapse, in favor of something more rigorous.
—Quanta Magazine, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obviate
Mark Lamster
architecture Critic, Dallas Morning News, 11 Mar. 2026
Dan Lawrence’s son, Luke, piloting Ariel, which once belonged to the Roosevelts’ neighbor Archie Rogers, took the first heat, and then the second, obviating the need for a third.
—Ben McGrath, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
Anthropic is supposed to be able to obviate what Workday does in human resources and finance.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 20 Feb. 2026
This imposition of consensus obviates the rather mysterious and ad hoc process of collapse, in favor of something more rigorous.
—Quanta Magazine, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obviate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obviate
Verb
-
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
-
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
Verb
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Johnson’s versatility, however, won’t preclude Hafley from a potential rotation at nickel.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
1 June 2026
-
When the primary was held in mid-May, only Republican voters - or unaffiliated voters who opted for a GOP ballot - were eligible to weigh in, precluding Cassidy from benefitting from crossover support.—
Eric McDaniel,
NPR,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obviate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obviate. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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