as in averting
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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Recent Examples of preventing
Goldman later cited a Manhattan federal district judge's late May ruling preventing ICE from arresting people attending immigration court during routine, mandatory check-ins.
—
Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 4 June 2026
Kim has called for creating a public disaster insurance program and advocated for preventing companies from raising rates after someone files a home or auto insurance claim.
—Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026
The mass release of dud studs elbows out fertile males, preventing them from mating with females, which generally only mate once.
—ArsTechnica, 3 June 2026
An accidental lab discovery has opened the door to entirely new ways of preventing the flu.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 3 June 2026
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said in a recall notice that the seat belts in certain Expedition and Lincoln vehicles may inadvertently lock, preventing the belt from retracting or extending.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 3 June 2026
The organization says the rule helps protect sponsorship agreements with companies that pay to be official World Cup partners while preventing what’s known as ambush marketing.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 June 2026
Other reasons include odor control, appearance, pet safety, and preventing personal items from falling in.
—Abby Wolner, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 June 2026
According to the researchers, the distance ensured that no information could travel between the chips during measurements, even at the speed of light, preventing interference with the randomness.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 27 May 2026
Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 4 June 2026
Kim has called for creating a public disaster insurance program and advocated for preventing companies from raising rates after someone files a home or auto insurance claim.
—Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026
The mass release of dud studs elbows out fertile males, preventing them from mating with females, which generally only mate once.
—ArsTechnica, 3 June 2026
An accidental lab discovery has opened the door to entirely new ways of preventing the flu.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 3 June 2026
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said in a recall notice that the seat belts in certain Expedition and Lincoln vehicles may inadvertently lock, preventing the belt from retracting or extending.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 3 June 2026
The organization says the rule helps protect sponsorship agreements with companies that pay to be official World Cup partners while preventing what’s known as ambush marketing.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 June 2026
Other reasons include odor control, appearance, pet safety, and preventing personal items from falling in.
—Abby Wolner, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 June 2026
According to the researchers, the distance ensured that no information could travel between the chips during measurements, even at the speed of light, preventing interference with the randomness.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 27 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preventing
Verb
-
Understanding the gravity of a red flag warning and adhering to these precautions is paramount in averting wildfires during these perilous conditions.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
15 May 2026
-
The attempt went wide right, however, temporarily averting disaster.—
Ryan Finley,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
When the primary was held in mid-May, only Republican voters - or unaffiliated voters who opted for a GOP ballot - were eligible to weigh in, precluding Cassidy from benefitting from crossover support.—
Eric McDaniel,
NPR,
30 May 2026
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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
Verb
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That’s the recipe of avoiding the darkness in him.—
Stephen Schaefer,
Boston Herald,
29 May 2026
-
Kennedy then pins the snake’s head and grabs it by the mouth, avoiding any potential venomous bites.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Preventing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preventing. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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