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
-
Matt Shaw’s diving catch in right field in the ninth prevented Trea Turner from driving in a run.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
-
By going forward with this process while a criminal indictment is pending, the Committee prevented me from defending myself.—
Hailey Bullis,
The Washington Examiner,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Mets averted disaster in the first inning.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Despite its status as one of the world's major oil importers, China averted the worst of the energy shock caused by the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz thanks to multi-year efforts to diversify its energy mix and build up reserves.—
Joseph Wilkins,Sean Conlon,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
However, lawyers from the Jackson Estate found that a settlement with one accuser had precluded any depiction or mention of them in a film.—
Andrew Flanagan,
Variety,
22 Apr. 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Obviated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obviated. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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