as in averts
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of prevents
Helium enables smooth production of semiconductors since the gas prevents unwanted chemical reactions in the manufacturing process.
—
Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2026
Using a combination of durable ceramic materials and specialized membranes, the filtration unit can remove extremely small contaminants while maintaining stable operation through a self-cleaning thermal mechanism that prevents buildup and degradation over time.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 30 Mar. 2026
The alternative of increasing road capacity won’t work because housing and commercial development along roads prevents widening, Ford added.
—Bruce Finley, Denver Post, 29 Mar. 2026
Black dahlias are thought not to always represent a high anthocyanin concentration — although this is sometimes the case — but are more likely the result of a virus that prevents expression of conventional flower colors.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2026
Dodgers owner Mark Walter acknowledges baseball needs salary-cap measures to ensure competitive balance, saying revenue disparity prevents small-market teams from winning.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
That means the rash is activated by sunlight; giant hogweed in particular prevents your skin from protecting itself from the sun’s UV rays.
—Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2026
An imperfect relationship One paradoxical aspect of the Danish-Greenlandic relationship is the constitutional arrangement that prevents Greenland from competing in international soccer is also what anchors it politically.
—Emile Nuh, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
Regulation prevents us from offering non-linear access before the first broadcast.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 26 Mar. 2026
Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2026
Using a combination of durable ceramic materials and specialized membranes, the filtration unit can remove extremely small contaminants while maintaining stable operation through a self-cleaning thermal mechanism that prevents buildup and degradation over time.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 30 Mar. 2026
The alternative of increasing road capacity won’t work because housing and commercial development along roads prevents widening, Ford added.
—Bruce Finley, Denver Post, 29 Mar. 2026
Black dahlias are thought not to always represent a high anthocyanin concentration — although this is sometimes the case — but are more likely the result of a virus that prevents expression of conventional flower colors.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2026
Dodgers owner Mark Walter acknowledges baseball needs salary-cap measures to ensure competitive balance, saying revenue disparity prevents small-market teams from winning.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
That means the rash is activated by sunlight; giant hogweed in particular prevents your skin from protecting itself from the sun’s UV rays.
—Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2026
An imperfect relationship One paradoxical aspect of the Danish-Greenlandic relationship is the constitutional arrangement that prevents Greenland from competing in international soccer is also what anchors it politically.
—Emile Nuh, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
Regulation prevents us from offering non-linear access before the first broadcast.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 26 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prevents
Verb
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For now and unless Williams changes his mind again, the move averts a potential historic litigation where Washington planned to sue Williams over his plan to switch schools.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
8 Jan. 2026
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The Corps project averts potential catastrophic flooding that could lay siege to about 475,000 residents, California and the nation, according to the government’s court documents.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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That precludes Sikh members from participating in local democracy, said Mandeep Singh, the regional director of the Jakara Movement, a nonprofit for young Sikhs to advocate for their religion.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
11 Mar. 2026
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Some drones rely on AI to acquire targets because electronic jamming precludes remote control by human operators.—
Jon R. Lindsay,
The Conversation,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prevents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prevents. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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