How to Use avert in a Sentence

avert

verb
Definition of avertnext
Synonyms for avertnext
  • He sped up and averted an accident.
  • The diplomatic talks narrowly averted a war.
  • To insurers, a heart attack averted might be a number in a spreadsheet, but to patients, this is their life.
    — Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2024
  • As such, and with plenty of time left before the threat becomes a reality, there’s every chance that the worst-case scenario can be averted.
    — Nimrod Lehavi, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
  • They were usually reduced to taking night shifts and relegated to special blue benches when out in public—a warning to others to avert their eyes.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 13 June 2022
  • On Thursday, Beasley implored Russian officials to lift the blockade at all costs to avert a global food shortage.
    — Tristan Bove, Fortune, 13 May 2022
  • What's in the continuing resolution to avert a government shutdown?
    — Nikole Killion, CBS News, 18 Dec. 2024
  • Illinois deputies helped avert disaster early Monday, preventing a pregnant woman whose brakes failed from plunging into a bitingly cold lake.
    — Doha Madani, NBC News, 5 Dec. 2024
  • He was diverted to the prisoner section at Bellevue Hospital, where a stent was inserted into a coronary artery to avert blockages.
    — Ken Auletta, The New Yorker, 30 May 2022
  • Notably, the other way to avert this crisis is through further automation, enabled by rapid advances in artificial intelligence.
    — Michael Luca, Washington Post, 10 June 2022
  • Both sides have worked throughout the week to avert the 24-hour strike.
    — Oliver Darcy, CNN, 7 Dec. 2022
  • But for now, there is still a chance to avert the worst outcome.
    — Alex De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 17 June 2024
  • The Bank of England had to intervene to avert a wider crash.
    — Julia Horowitz, CNN, 9 Dec. 2022
  • The agreement, reached late on April 26, averted a strike.
    — Eric D. Lawrence, Detroit Free Press, 6 May 2024
  • Many Israelis have preferred to avert their gaze from the rage at their doorstep.
    — Roger Cohen, New York Times, 20 Nov. 2023
  • To avert a default, the House and the Senate must pass the deal and send it to Biden for his signature.
    — Jim Tankersley, BostonGlobe.com, 28 May 2023
  • The bill that could avert a government shutdown heads to the Senate.
    — Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 15 Nov. 2023
  • Nor does Kennedy avert her eyes from the Troubles, the era during which her novel is set.
    — Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 6 Dec. 2022
  • The union hopes to reach a contract and avert a potential strike before Aug. 1.
    — Shera Avi-Yonah, Washington Post, 8 June 2023
  • India hopes to avert a repeat of that, but prospects appear dim.
    — Matthew Lee, ajc, 2 Mar. 2023
  • In the last spending bill, some Democrats had to make concessions to avert a shutdown.
    — Ken Tran, USA TODAY, 15 Nov. 2022
  • The two sides reached an agreement this week, averting a proxy battle.
    — Lila MacLellan, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2024
  • While an agreement over benefits could avert a strike, the two sides still would have much work to do.
    — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2022
  • Publicly, Biden aides have said the only way to avert a crisis is for Congress to act.
    — Jim Tankersley, New York Times, 2 May 2023
  • Yet while the floods may have triggered an increase in the odor complaints, the reservoir’s presence could have helped to avert heavy damage in the area.
    — Hank Sanders, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2023
  • If there’s a chance Trump is going to be the next president, some flattery might avert a lot of damage.
    — Gaby Del Valle, The Verge, 31 Oct. 2024
  • That certainly would be an important big step to try to avert this.
    — Nbc Universal, NBC News, 18 Feb. 2024
  • Both characters seem to avert their eyes from this moment.
    — Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 26 July 2022
  • When a body washes up on a beach, Carmen tells her grandchildren to avert their eyes; by then, though, hers have been pried open.
    — Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2023
  • Passage of the bill, just hours ahead of Saturday’s 12:01 a.m. shutdown deadline, set off a sprint in the Senate to avert a lapse in funding.
    — Catie Edmondson, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'avert.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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