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
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precautionary
Adjective
-
SpaceX identified technical and organizational preventative measures to avoid a reoccurrence of the event.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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What may appear an extreme response could also prove preventative.—
Barbie Latza Nadeau,
CNN Money,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
But despite the best preventive measures, accidents will still sometimes happen.—
Jillian Pretzel,
Parents,
6 Feb. 2026
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Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins did the hard work of investigating the root cause and determining the best preventive action.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Precautionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precautionary. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
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