averted; averting; averts
1
: to turn away or aside (the eyes, one's gaze, etc.) in avoidance
I found the sight so grotesque that I had to avert my eyes …—
John Gregory Dunne
John Gregory Dunne2
: to see coming and ward off : avoid
avert disaster
Examples of avert in a Sentence
He sped up and averted an accident.
The diplomatic talks narrowly averted a war.
an attempt to avert a strike at the plant
Recent Examples on the Web
How Investigative Journalists Actually Find Fraud, Waste and Abuse
The evidence is similarly clear on Trump’s argument that continued reliance on tariffs to fund the government would have averted the Great Depression.
—Jesse Eisinger, ProPublica, 8 Apr. 2025
The United States and Iran are preparing for talks on Tehran's nuclear program in Oman to avert a possible military confrontation that could have devastating consequences far beyond the Middle East.
—Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025
Other firms started coming to Trump preemptively, negotiating to avert new orders that could have targeted them.
—Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 5 Apr. 2025
The move averted a government shutdown but many Democrats say Schumer effectively caved to Trump.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2025
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Jesse Eisinger, ProPublica, 8 Apr. 2025
The United States and Iran are preparing for talks on Tehran's nuclear program in Oman to avert a possible military confrontation that could have devastating consequences far beyond the Middle East.
—Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025
Other firms started coming to Trump preemptively, negotiating to avert new orders that could have targeted them.
—Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 5 Apr. 2025
The move averted a government shutdown but many Democrats say Schumer effectively caved to Trump.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for avert
Cite this Entry
“Avert.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/avert. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
avert
verb1
: to turn away
avert one's eyes
2
: to keep from happening
averted an accident
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