How to Use prevent in a Sentence

prevent

verb
Definition of preventnext
Synonyms for preventnext
  • He grabbed my arm to prevent me from falling.
  • How are you going to prevent him from finding out about the party?
  • The accident could have been prevented.
  • Can exercise and a healthy diet prevent heart disease?
  • Bad weather prevented us from leaving.
  • Seatbelts in cars often prevent serious injuries.
  • This helps a skin form on the jam and prevents it from leaking out the top of the cookies.
    — Carrie Honaker, Southern Living, 30 Nov. 2024
  • But the loss of crop from the freezes prevented them from doing so.
    — Evan Lasseter, ajc, 10 July 2023
  • And the only way to prevent that is to burn the person or bind them … Tylee was burned.
    — Jonathan Vigliotti, CBS News, 13 May 2023
  • More for you These ‘bioswales’ were built to help prevent flooding.
    — Kurtis Alexander, San Francisco Chronicle, 7 Mar. 2023
  • The Anvil blade features a sap groove to prevent sticking.
    — Renee Freemon Mulvihill, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 May 2023
  • The plastic on the base is slippery and doesn’t prevent it from sliding around.
    — Belle Duchene, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Jan. 2023
  • The stand is made out of acacia and includes feet on the bottom to prevent scratches.
    — Jessica Comstock, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Jan. 2024
  • Ford says this is to prevent the engine from overwhelming the brakes.
    — David Beard, Car and Driver, 30 Nov. 2022
  • It’s made of polyester with double stitching to prevent any rips or tears.
    — Kylee McGuigan, Popular Mechanics, 12 Dec. 2022
  • All work to prevent infections that can lead to cancer down the road.
    — Erin Prater, Fortune, 4 Feb. 2023
  • What can be done to prevent and deter bats from entering your home in the first place?
    — Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 27 June 2023
  • Eiland said the only way to stop Hamas and bring an end to the yearlong war is to prevent its access to aid.
    — Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2024
  • Plus, the wide straps are lined with soft microfiber to prevent chafing and blisters.
    — Sara Coughlin, SELF, 18 June 2024
  • Also, be sure to wet the inside of the mold with a little water to prevent the rice from clinging to it.
    — Hetal Vasavada, Bon Appétit, 18 Feb. 2024
  • Want to prevent your packages from ending up in their arms?
    — Elisabeth Buchwald, USA TODAY, 1 Dec. 2022
  • What will the current players do (and or can do) to prevent Sinner and Alcaraz from the doing the same?
    — Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
  • Comics rely on censors to prevent them from going over the line.
    — Chang Che, The New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2024
  • Live sporting events are one of the last things preventing people from cutting the cord.
    — Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 7 Feb. 2024
  • The stones also weigh down the vase to counteract any heavy stems and prevent it from toppling.
    — Mackenzie Nichols, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 June 2024
  • Will bad weather prevent him from having the chance to attempt it?
    — Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 26 May 2024
  • It is made of a soft cotton-fleece blend fabric, a zipper garage to prevent chafing and a high neck.
    — Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 19 Feb. 2024
  • When the pattern of the multipart plan to prevent the transfer of power started to take shape.
    — Luke Broadwater, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2023
  • The fabric is incredibly smooth and light, which keeps air flowing and prevents chafing.
    — Sara Coughlin, SELF, 17 Feb. 2025
  • The property is zoned for agricultural use and is on Prop A lands, meant to conserve agricultural lands and prevent urban sprawl.
    — Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prevent.' 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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