as in to avert
to keep from happening by taking action in advance
a lot of problems would have been prevented if we'd just prepared better
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of prevent
The Aggies and Sooners were declared co-champions of the SEC Softball Tournament after rain prevented the game from being played in Athens, Ga., on Saturday.
—
Lauren Merola, New York Times, 12 May 2025
Resurging opposition to fluoridation — the practice of adding fluoride to public water systems at safe levels to prevent tooth decay — has been a nuisance for dentists, researchers and public health experts.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 12 May 2025
Probiotics may help fight and prevent respiratory infections by boosting the immune system and reducing the presence of harmful bacteria and viruses in the respiratory tract.
—Lindsay Curtis, Verywell Health, 12 May 2025
The late-night host played a series of clips of Trump touting his skills as president, from announcing the Gulf of America to stopping money being sent to Gaza to buy condoms for Hamas and preventing transgender mice to winning golf tournaments.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prevent
Lauren Merola, New York Times, 12 May 2025
Resurging opposition to fluoridation — the practice of adding fluoride to public water systems at safe levels to prevent tooth decay — has been a nuisance for dentists, researchers and public health experts.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 12 May 2025
Probiotics may help fight and prevent respiratory infections by boosting the immune system and reducing the presence of harmful bacteria and viruses in the respiratory tract.
—Lindsay Curtis, Verywell Health, 12 May 2025
The late-night host played a series of clips of Trump touting his skills as president, from announcing the Gulf of America to stopping money being sent to Gaza to buy condoms for Hamas and preventing transgender mice to winning golf tournaments.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prevent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prevent
Verb
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Murphy expressed particular alarm over his party’s tactics after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) opted to avert a government shutdown this spring.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
18 May 2025
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The city plans to avert further layoffs by transferring employees to the proprietary departments, like the harbor, the airport and perhaps the Department of Water & Power.—
Noah Goldberg,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2025
Verb
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The nation also operates on a different system that precludes simply copying and pasting Germany’s rules.—
Akielly Hu,
Wired News,
3 May 2025
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The plaintiffs raise a familiar legal argument: The NCAA and its member institutions violated antitrust law by agreeing to rules that precluded their chance to earn NIL deals and allowed the NCAA to use their NIL.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Steer clear of windows and avoid large open spaces like cafeterias, gymnasiums, or auditoriums.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
13 May 2025
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Inside and outside the organization, the prevailing belief was that the Celtics would need to undergo significant changes this offseason to avoid such an enormous salary bill.—
Jay King,
New York Times,
13 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prevent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prevent. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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