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
There’s really no downside in taking a few precautionary measures just in case the weather system moves to the West Coast.
—
Wayne Chan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
Both the drought watch and the burn ban are precautionary measures as the Broomfield community works to best prepare for dry weather and winds this winter.
—Sarah Horbacewicz, CBS News, 16 Feb. 2026
The incident follows another nearby break in October at Westleigh and Waukegan roads that prompted a two-day precautionary boil order.
—Daniel I. Dorfman, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
Officials in Mansfield have lifted the precautionary shelter-in-place order after a freight train carrying 43 rail cars derailed on Thursday morning, including some carrying hazardous materials.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 7 Feb. 2026
Lance Stroll completed five laps on Thursday evening before stopping on the track as a precautionary measure, according to the team.
—Luke Smith, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2026
The report appears to adopt the precautionary principle, insisting regulators protect against any potential risks before the public can access novel therapies.
—Amy Caruso Brown, STAT, 30 Jan. 2026
The company initiated the recall as a precautionary measure.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
The changes are affecting routes to Israel, parts of the GCC, and Jordan, with airlines stressing that the measures are precautionary and subject to constant operational review.
—Hana Al-Khodairi, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Jan. 2026
Wayne Chan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
Both the drought watch and the burn ban are precautionary measures as the Broomfield community works to best prepare for dry weather and winds this winter.
—Sarah Horbacewicz, CBS News, 16 Feb. 2026
The incident follows another nearby break in October at Westleigh and Waukegan roads that prompted a two-day precautionary boil order.
—Daniel I. Dorfman, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
Officials in Mansfield have lifted the precautionary shelter-in-place order after a freight train carrying 43 rail cars derailed on Thursday morning, including some carrying hazardous materials.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 7 Feb. 2026
Lance Stroll completed five laps on Thursday evening before stopping on the track as a precautionary measure, according to the team.
—Luke Smith, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2026
The report appears to adopt the precautionary principle, insisting regulators protect against any potential risks before the public can access novel therapies.
—Amy Caruso Brown, STAT, 30 Jan. 2026
The company initiated the recall as a precautionary measure.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
The changes are affecting routes to Israel, parts of the GCC, and Jordan, with airlines stressing that the measures are precautionary and subject to constant operational review.
—Hana Al-Khodairi, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precautionary
Adjective
-
The mayor has said the prospective city agency should emphasize sending social workers instead of cops to the scene of a mental health crisis, and would strengthen other crisis and preventative services.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The evening featured a panel on preventative care moderated by TIME executive editor Nikhil Kumar and ended with a round of toasts from three honorees, who spoke about the importance of long-term funding for health, reinterpreting the story around aging, and altruism to help those in medical need.—
Charlotte Hu,
Time,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In fact, higher costs ultimately reduce access as patients delay, skip medications or avoid preventive care.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Feb. 2026
-
However, preventive measures may reduce your risk of getting these marks.—
Caroline Lubinsky,
Martha Stewart,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Precautionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precautionary. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
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