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
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 preventing
Through several administrations, the filibuster has been weaponized on both sides, preventing the governing party from passing key legislations—including blocking civil rights legislation.
—
Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
Since then, they've been forced to work remotely — at a time when the government was doling out return-to-office mandates — preventing access to labs and crippling the center's mission of embedding NASA climate scientists within international academia.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 31 Oct. 2025
That side effect was not seen with ALZ-801, which works by preventing amyloid plaques from forming in the first place.
—Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Besides American’s penny hoarding habit, a logistical issue is also preventing pennies from circulating.
—Ken Sweet, Fortune, 30 Oct. 2025
Typically, too much gallium makes the material unstable, destroying its crystal structure and preventing superconductivity.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2025
The vegetable contains several nutrients essential for bone formation and preventing bone density loss.
—Isabel Vasquez Rd Ldn, Health, 30 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
Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
Since then, they've been forced to work remotely — at a time when the government was doling out return-to-office mandates — preventing access to labs and crippling the center's mission of embedding NASA climate scientists within international academia.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 31 Oct. 2025
That side effect was not seen with ALZ-801, which works by preventing amyloid plaques from forming in the first place.
—Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Besides American’s penny hoarding habit, a logistical issue is also preventing pennies from circulating.
—Ken Sweet, Fortune, 30 Oct. 2025
Typically, too much gallium makes the material unstable, destroying its crystal structure and preventing superconductivity.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2025
The vegetable contains several nutrients essential for bone formation and preventing bone density loss.
—Isabel Vasquez Rd Ldn, Health, 30 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preventing
Verb
-
Broadway musicians have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract, averting the possibility of a strike.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
-
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
-
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
-
But the Republic never received any further communication about this request or any data, precluding progress.—
Joan Meiners,
AZCentral.com,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
These risks have prompted the United States, China, and other spacefaring nations to develop advanced systems for tracking, avoiding, and potentially removing orbital debris.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Maximize calcium absorption by pairing it with vitamin D, healthy fats, and proper timing, while avoiding absorption blockers such as high-oxalate foods and excessive caffeine.—
Trang Tran,
Verywell Health,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Preventing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preventing. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share