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
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
Some lawmakers view Trump’s order skeptically at best, noting the administration has been removing guardrails, and preventing others from erecting them, to an extreme degree.
—Darius Tahir, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026
However, the annual defense policy bill passed by Congress in December 2025 explicitly blocked those efforts, legally preventing the Pentagon from handing off the management of military stores this year.
—Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
Although the paintings are quite large — close to full scale — the views rarely encompass the rooms’ full height, preventing a viewer from feeling subconsciously oriented and anchored in the visual space.
—Benjamin Lima, Dallas Morning News, 18 Feb. 2026
Property owners and tenants play a role in preventing fires.
—Lillian Bonsignore, New York Daily News, 18 Feb. 2026
An emergency bill preventing private detention facilities in Baltimore County was passed Tuesday evening.
—Adam Thompson, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
Fiber slows digestion, preventing sharp glucose spikes while delivering antioxidants that protect brain cells.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 11 Feb. 2026
Coronary heart disease occurs when fatty deposits called plaque build up in the heart’s arteries, preventing them from delivering oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle.
—Barbara Mantel, NBC news, 11 Feb. 2026
Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
Some lawmakers view Trump’s order skeptically at best, noting the administration has been removing guardrails, and preventing others from erecting them, to an extreme degree.
—Darius Tahir, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026
However, the annual defense policy bill passed by Congress in December 2025 explicitly blocked those efforts, legally preventing the Pentagon from handing off the management of military stores this year.
—Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
Although the paintings are quite large — close to full scale — the views rarely encompass the rooms’ full height, preventing a viewer from feeling subconsciously oriented and anchored in the visual space.
—Benjamin Lima, Dallas Morning News, 18 Feb. 2026
Property owners and tenants play a role in preventing fires.
—Lillian Bonsignore, New York Daily News, 18 Feb. 2026
An emergency bill preventing private detention facilities in Baltimore County was passed Tuesday evening.
—Adam Thompson, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
Fiber slows digestion, preventing sharp glucose spikes while delivering antioxidants that protect brain cells.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 11 Feb. 2026
Coronary heart disease occurs when fatty deposits called plaque build up in the heart’s arteries, preventing them from delivering oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle.
—Barbara Mantel, NBC news, 11 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preventing
Verb
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The countries are set for another round of nuclear talks on Tuesday aimed at reaching an agreement and averting a war.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
16 Feb. 2026
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Those demands will be at the center of negotiations this week over averting a DHS shutdown.—
Sophie Brams,
The Hill,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
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The judge signed a temporary protection order requiring Davenport to stay away from the victim and precluding him from owning a firearm.—
Quinlan Bentley,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
According to Ruby, seven of the 20 or so churches in G92, a Christian immigrant advocacy coalition in the city, are ready to offer physical sanctuary, though many are avoiding publicity for fear of harassment.—
Caitlin Hu,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
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To do so, Nguyen advises maintaining proper form, controlling the weight through the full range of motion and avoiding any movement that causes sudden pain.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Preventing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preventing. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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