as in to prevent
to keep from happening by taking action in advance
issued a strict schedule for doing household chores so as to preclude any arguments
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Recent Examples of preclude
We’re not precluded from going in that direction.
—
Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 1 Feb. 2026
While coaches are barred from contacting players with other schools, there are no NCAA tampering rules that preclude third party contact.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2026
Debris from hydraulic mining, using water cannons to blast away dirt in search of gold, built up in Northern California rivers, precluding larger steamboats from traveling on them, the California State Lands Commission report said.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Duke University has sued QB Darian Mensah over his decision to enter the transfer portal, arguing that an NIL contract the school signed with Mensah—who transferred to Duke last year—ought to effectively preclude him from playing college football elsewhere.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for preclude
Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 1 Feb. 2026
While coaches are barred from contacting players with other schools, there are no NCAA tampering rules that preclude third party contact.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2026
Debris from hydraulic mining, using water cannons to blast away dirt in search of gold, built up in Northern California rivers, precluding larger steamboats from traveling on them, the California State Lands Commission report said.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Duke University has sued QB Darian Mensah over his decision to enter the transfer portal, arguing that an NIL contract the school signed with Mensah—who transferred to Duke last year—ought to effectively preclude him from playing college football elsewhere.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for preclude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preclude
Verb
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Even worse, that money was supposed to go toward preventing and reversing drug overdoses amid an ongoing opioid epidemic.—
Blake Nelson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
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The same dangerous whiteout conditions that caused the avalanche Tuesday have prevented recovery crews from returning to the remote Sierra Nevada backcountry to bring home the bodies, officials said in an update Wednesday.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The administration estimates its rule repeal will avert $670 million in compliance costs over a decade.—
Connor Giffin,
Louisville Courier Journal,
20 Feb. 2026
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Instead of fluids, the doctor ordered dopamine to raise the patient’s blood pressure without adding volume—averting what Hart believed could have led to a life-threatening complication.—
Hilke Schellmann,
Scientific American,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Preclude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preclude. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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