as in prevented
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 obviated
But a constant churn of financial maneuvers (spinning off Saks’ e-commerce, creating co-working spaces in underutilized stores, all while being highly leveraged) brought some benefit but never obviated the need to invest more in basics.
—
Phil Wahba, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
The new contactless system has obviated any need, or rationale, to offer discounts for people who use Clipper.
—Rachel Swan, San Francisco Chronicle, 16 Dec. 2025
Phil Wahba, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
The new contactless system has obviated any need, or rationale, to offer discounts for people who use Clipper.
—Rachel Swan, San Francisco Chronicle, 16 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obviated
Verb
-
Analysts say the move does not lift broader sanctions but is designed to remove practical barriers that had prevented Venezuelan diplomatic facilities from operating, signaling a willingness by Washington to restore a functional diplomatic presence as talks advance.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Colorado troops fought for the Union Army in several battles that prevented Confederate forces from taking over western gold fields.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Like in the Rangers’ final exhibition game Tuesday, when a Jack Leiter pitch was reversed from a ball to a strike, meaning a walk became a strikeout and a potential unraveling was thus averted.—
Kevin Sherrington
Mar. 25,
Dallas Morning News,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Those federal funds averted over 12,000 evictions in Milwaukee.—
Gina Lee Castro,
jsonline.com,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
At the same time, my intimate awareness of the many challenges, setbacks, and disasters of postcolonial nation building during the cold war precluded the reflexive Western attitude toward Iran of fear and loathing underpinned by near-total ignorance.—
Pankaj Mishra,
The New York Review of Books,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Reflecting the global reach of American hegemony, as well as the way the bureaucratic style of Soviet espionage precluded such individual initiative, eighteen of these thirty operatives were Americans.—
Alfred McCoy,
Literary Hub,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obviated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obviated. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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