intervene
verb
in·ter·vene
ˌin-tər-ˈvēn 
intervened; intervening
1
: to occur, fall, or come between points of time or events
only six months intervened between their marriage and divorce
2
a
: to interfere with the outcome or course especially of a condition or process (as to prevent harm or improve functioning)
b
: to come in or between by way of hindrance or modification
intervene to stop a fight
3
: to enter or appear as an irrelevant or extraneous feature or circumstance
it's business as usual until a crisis intervenes
4
: to occur or lie between two things
Examples of intervene in a Sentence
Twenty years intervened between their first and last meetings.
The prisoner asked me to intervene with the authorities on his behalf.
The military had to intervene to restore order.
We will leave on time unless some crisis intervenes.
Recent Examples on the Web
The ranches and dairies of the Point Reyes Seashore Ranchers Association intervened in the suit.
—
Richard Halstead, The Mercury News, 14 Nov. 2024
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) intervened in the case, arguing that Georgia law allows for absentee ballots to be returned until the polls close on Election Day.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024
Over the last four years, Trump has intervened in GOP primaries across the country to weed out intra-party heretics in both houses of Congress.
—Eric Cortellessa, TIME, 5 Nov. 2024
Biden’s acting labor secretary, Julie Su, intervened in the negotiations several times, including when Boeing made its latest offer last week.
—David Koenig, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for intervene 
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Richard Halstead, The Mercury News, 14 Nov. 2024
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) intervened in the case, arguing that Georgia law allows for absentee ballots to be returned until the polls close on Election Day.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024
Over the last four years, Trump has intervened in GOP primaries across the country to weed out intra-party heretics in both houses of Congress.
—Eric Cortellessa, TIME, 5 Nov. 2024
Biden’s acting labor secretary, Julie Su, intervened in the negotiations several times, including when Boeing made its latest offer last week.
—David Koenig, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for intervene
Dictionary Entries Near intervene
Cite this Entry
“Intervene.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intervene. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
intervene
verb
in·ter·vene
ˌint-ər-ˈvēn
intervened; intervening
1
: to happen as an unrelated event
rain intervened and we canceled the game
2
: to come between points of time or between events
barely one minute intervened between the two phone calls
3
: to come between in order to stop, settle, or change
intervene to stop a fight
4
: to be or lie between
intervening hills
Legal Definition
intervene
intransitive verb
in·ter·vene
ˌin-tər-ˈvēn
intervened; intervening
1
: to occur, fall, or come between points of time or events
may be held liable even though other independent agencies intervene between his negligence and the ultimate result—Hooks Superx, Inc. v. McLaughlin, 642 N.E.2d 514 (1994)
Hooks Superx, Inc. v. McLaughlin, 642 N.E.2d 514 (1994)2
a
: to come in or between by way of hindrance or modification
intervene to stop a fight
b
: to become a party to a legal proceeding begun by others in order to protect an alleged interest in the subject matter of the proceeding
the Commissioner of Internal Revenue was granted leave to intervene—P. A. Freund
compare implead, interplead, join
P. A. FreundLove words? Need even more definitions?
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