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
Led by scientists at Rice University in Houston, the study suggests Jupiter's early growth cut off the flow of gas and dust toward the inner solar system, preventing the material that would one day form Earth, Venus and Mars from spiraling into the sun.
—
Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Breaking up or obscuring the reflection makes the glass visible to birds, preventing them from hitting your windows.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2025
Over the last several weeks, the SCHD has also shared information on the disease on social media in the hopes of preventing it from spreading.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
As health secretary, Kennedy has pledged to remove fluoride from municipal water, which, over decades, has proven safe and highly effective at preventing tooth decay in children.
—ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2025
Colonoscopy screenings are a highly effective measure for preventing colon cancer.
—Bryant Stamford, Louisville Courier Journal, 23 Oct. 2025
Tennessee property owners are responsible for maintaining their own trees and preventing them from becoming a nuisance on neighboring properties.
—Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 23 Oct. 2025
Schiavo praised the suspect’s family for coming forward and preventing a potentially significant attack.
—Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
Fiber helps control blood sugar during meals by slowing digestion, preventing blood sugar spikes.
—Eleesha Lockett, Verywell Health, 17 Oct. 2025
Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Breaking up or obscuring the reflection makes the glass visible to birds, preventing them from hitting your windows.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2025
Over the last several weeks, the SCHD has also shared information on the disease on social media in the hopes of preventing it from spreading.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
As health secretary, Kennedy has pledged to remove fluoride from municipal water, which, over decades, has proven safe and highly effective at preventing tooth decay in children.
—ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2025
Colonoscopy screenings are a highly effective measure for preventing colon cancer.
—Bryant Stamford, Louisville Courier Journal, 23 Oct. 2025
Tennessee property owners are responsible for maintaining their own trees and preventing them from becoming a nuisance on neighboring properties.
—Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 23 Oct. 2025
Schiavo praised the suspect’s family for coming forward and preventing a potentially significant attack.
—Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
Fiber helps control blood sugar during meals by slowing digestion, preventing blood sugar spikes.
—Eleesha Lockett, Verywell Health, 17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preventing
Verb
-
Actors’ Equity has reached a tentative agreement with the Broadway League over a new contract, averting the possibility of a strike.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Oct. 2025
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Since then, a nonprofit called Mirror Biology Dialogues Fund has sponsored a series of meetings to develop recommendations aimed at averting the threat scientists think mirror life could pose.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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By comparison, the workouts many people think of as HIIT involve way longer work intervals and much shorter rest periods, precluding the same level of intensity.—
Marissa Gold,
SELF,
9 Oct. 2025
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But the Republic never received any further communication about this request or any data, precluding progress.—
Joan Meiners,
AZCentral.com,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Currently, pediatricians recommend avoiding caffeine consumption for children under 12 years old.—
Brittany Lubeck,
Verywell Health,
22 Oct. 2025
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However, the chances of this happening were unlikely, given the CRB's priority of avoiding a rebound of inflation rather than stagnation.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Preventing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preventing. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
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