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
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
Again, all this is simply precautionary.
—Terry Eliasen, CBS News, 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
The Knights sat him the rest of the game as a precautionary measure.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Hart’s absence, meanwhile, was more precautionary than reactive.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 18 Jan. 2026
There is no animosity toward the Jaguars’ Montaric Brown, who delivered a blow on a hospital-ball crossing route strong enough to send Bryant to the hospital for precautionary measures.
—Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 17 Jan. 2026
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
Again, all this is simply precautionary.
—Terry Eliasen, CBS News, 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
The Knights sat him the rest of the game as a precautionary measure.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Hart’s absence, meanwhile, was more precautionary than reactive.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 18 Jan. 2026
There is no animosity toward the Jaguars’ Montaric Brown, who delivered a blow on a hospital-ball crossing route strong enough to send Bryant to the hospital for precautionary measures.
—Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 17 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precautionary
Adjective
-
What may appear an extreme response could also prove preventative.—
Barbie Latza Nadeau,
CNN Money,
31 Jan. 2026
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Stroger Hospital is also concerned about the number of people who will put off preventative care due to a lack of insurance and end up needing much more intense medical care later.—
Tara Molina,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Mon Lumière offers a smart alternative to complicated routines and costly in-office treatments, delivering an easy system that supports both preventive and corrective care with comfort and consistency.—
William Jones
January 29,
Miami Herald,
29 Jan. 2026
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Since there’s no preventive or curative medicine, avoiding infection is the best course of action.—
Devika Rao,
TheWeek,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Precautionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precautionary. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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