as in preventative
concerned with or serving to keep something from happening
prior to the game, we moved the furniture out of the way as a precautionary measure
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Recent Examples of precautionary
Harris was a late scratch from the lineup as a precautionary measure after tightness in his left quad forced him to leave the previous day's victory over Washington.
—
ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
Hwang told the Collegian that Choi spoke to the male student involved as a precautionary measure.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Apr. 2026
The thousands of tremors suggested that either an eruption or a major earthquake was imminent, and a precautionary evacuation plan was activated.
—Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 23 Apr. 2026
While many departures could be precautionary rather than permanent, the figures point to a rupture in what had been a steady migration from Britain to the Gulf.
—Emma Graham,sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2026
Southwest Airlines described the maneuver as precautionary and said the pilots were responding to weather conditions at the time.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
HiPP told Reuters in a statement on Sunday that the jars did contain rat poison and as a precautionary measure the affected retail partners in both countries immediately removed all HiPP baby food jars from sale.
—Reuters, NBC news, 19 Apr. 2026
Instead of serving as a precautionary tale, Robert is basically considered an outlier.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2026
Roberts confirmed Wrobleski’s suspicions that the decision to have somebody else pitch the ninth was precautionary.
—Doug Padilla, Oc Register, 14 Apr. 2026
ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
Hwang told the Collegian that Choi spoke to the male student involved as a precautionary measure.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Apr. 2026
The thousands of tremors suggested that either an eruption or a major earthquake was imminent, and a precautionary evacuation plan was activated.
—Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 23 Apr. 2026
While many departures could be precautionary rather than permanent, the figures point to a rupture in what had been a steady migration from Britain to the Gulf.
—Emma Graham,sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2026
Southwest Airlines described the maneuver as precautionary and said the pilots were responding to weather conditions at the time.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
HiPP told Reuters in a statement on Sunday that the jars did contain rat poison and as a precautionary measure the affected retail partners in both countries immediately removed all HiPP baby food jars from sale.
—Reuters, NBC news, 19 Apr. 2026
Instead of serving as a precautionary tale, Robert is basically considered an outlier.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2026
Roberts confirmed Wrobleski’s suspicions that the decision to have somebody else pitch the ninth was precautionary.
—Doug Padilla, Oc Register, 14 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precautionary
Adjective
-
Preventative Measures The best way to control ants in the garden is to be observant and take preventative measures before ants become a problem.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
23 Apr. 2026
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From boots-on-the-ground response to investigative analyses and study design, to partnership building and communication of key preventative measures, officers take away key skills and experiences that then shape their public health careers.—
Matthew Donahue,
STAT,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Medical science has blessed our generation with an abundance of preventive methods — including vaccines — and treatments that enable a far greater percentage of us to live longer and healthier lives than our forebears.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
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Though Mahata said further studies and funding are needed to advance the work, the study introduces a powerful computational and experimental framework to accelerate the discovery of other preventive therapies for Alzheimer’s disease.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Precautionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precautionary. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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