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
Sirens sounded across Israel as a precautionary measure, alerting the public to potential missile attacks, the IDF confirmed.
—
Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 28 Feb. 2026
Schools are taking precautionary measures and are likely to move to online learning as the situation evolves.
—Dan Mangan,leslie Josephs,spencer Kimball,cj Haddad,justin Papp,jordan Novet, CNBC, 28 Feb. 2026
As a precautionary measure, the guest was evaluated by ski patrol.
—ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
What travelers need to know Despite the increase in travel warnings and precautionary advisories, much of the Middle East continues to operate as normal, with airports open, hotels functioning, and commercial flights running across major hubs including the UAE, Qatar, and Jordan.
—Hana Al-Khodairi, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Feb. 2026
The school was unaffected by the fire but placed on secure status as a precautionary measure during the emergency response, according to officials.
—Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 26 Feb. 2026
In the meantime, experts recommend precautionary measures, such as using charcoal water filters and avoiding heating food in plastic containers.
—Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2026
Government officials say more than 2,000 detainees have been released under precautionary measures and at least 177 prisoners have received full amnesty benefits, according to figures provided by ruling party lawmaker Jorge Arreaza, who heads the parliamentary commission overseeing compliance.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2026
That was a precautionary call-up, Gulutzan said, in case goalie Jake Oettinger does not return in time from Team USA’s celebrations.
—Lia Assimakopoulos, Dallas Morning News, 24 Feb. 2026
Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 28 Feb. 2026
Schools are taking precautionary measures and are likely to move to online learning as the situation evolves.
—Dan Mangan,leslie Josephs,spencer Kimball,cj Haddad,justin Papp,jordan Novet, CNBC, 28 Feb. 2026
As a precautionary measure, the guest was evaluated by ski patrol.
—ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
What travelers need to know Despite the increase in travel warnings and precautionary advisories, much of the Middle East continues to operate as normal, with airports open, hotels functioning, and commercial flights running across major hubs including the UAE, Qatar, and Jordan.
—Hana Al-Khodairi, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Feb. 2026
The school was unaffected by the fire but placed on secure status as a precautionary measure during the emergency response, according to officials.
—Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 26 Feb. 2026
In the meantime, experts recommend precautionary measures, such as using charcoal water filters and avoiding heating food in plastic containers.
—Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2026
Government officials say more than 2,000 detainees have been released under precautionary measures and at least 177 prisoners have received full amnesty benefits, according to figures provided by ruling party lawmaker Jorge Arreaza, who heads the parliamentary commission overseeing compliance.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2026
That was a precautionary call-up, Gulutzan said, in case goalie Jake Oettinger does not return in time from Team USA’s celebrations.
—Lia Assimakopoulos, Dallas Morning News, 24 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precautionary
Adjective
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Drivers in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, can expect to take a detour for the next few months as a section of Route 202 is set to close for several months for preventative sinkhole work.—
Brandon Goldner,
CBS News,
26 Feb. 2026
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Those using the new system saw a fourfold increase in use of preventative HIV drugs, and only seven new infections, compared to 22 under the old regime.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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In such cases, food manufacturers often issue a recall as a preventive measure to safeguard consumers.—
Josh Kelly,
Oklahoman,
27 Feb. 2026
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Insurance reimbursement should explicitly include preventive therapy for siblings — not just crisis intervention after trauma.—
Debra Manetta,
STAT,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Precautionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precautionary. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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