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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of preclude
Lemon also pointed to former President Barack Obama’s rise as evidence that unconventional candidates can succeed, arguing that doubts about background or name recognition do not preclude a serious campaign.
—
Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
But even after hearing from Kelly and several distressed homeowners at the March 9 City Council meeting, Council members couldn’t reach consensus on key elements of the proposal, precluding a necessary approval for the ordinance to advance.
—Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
Ultimately, White believes that compliance does not have to preclude conviction.
—Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
In addition, the plaintiffs insisted that MLB’s anti-tampering rules, which preclude franchises from recruiting other teams’ players, coaches and managers, hurt older scouts.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for preclude
Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
But even after hearing from Kelly and several distressed homeowners at the March 9 City Council meeting, Council members couldn’t reach consensus on key elements of the proposal, precluding a necessary approval for the ordinance to advance.
—Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
Ultimately, White believes that compliance does not have to preclude conviction.
—Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
In addition, the plaintiffs insisted that MLB’s anti-tampering rules, which preclude franchises from recruiting other teams’ players, coaches and managers, hurt older scouts.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for preclude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preclude
Verb
-
The bill also creates a pathway for people to sue if they were harmed by conversion therapy as children and a separate measure prevents insurers from covering such a practice.—
Caroline Cummings,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
More often than not, a lack of numbers have prevented the program from fielding a full varsity team, something Kendall and second-year coach Tonia Logan would like to remedy.—
Rick Armstrong,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Despite its status as one of the world's major oil importers, China averted the worst of the energy shock caused by the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz thanks to multi-year efforts to diversify its energy mix and build up reserves.—
Joseph Wilkins,Sean Conlon,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
-
CNN‘s reporting of a statement issued by the country’s Supreme National Security Council, declaring victory and averting the president’s threat to launch attacks on civilian infrastructure.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Preclude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preclude. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
