as in to avert
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of prevent
Some notices also advised keeping windows closed to prevent smoke getting indoors.
—
Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025
Iran's arch-foe Israel, which sees Tehran's nuclear programme as an existential threat, has repeatedly threatened to bomb the Islamic Republic's nuclear facilities to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
—Parisa Hafezi, USA Today, 5 June 2025
President Trump on Wednesday signed a travel ban on 12 countries, primarily in Africa and the Middle East, resurrecting an effort from his first term to prevent large numbers of immigrants and visitors from entering the United States.
—Hamed Aleaziz, New York Times, 5 June 2025
This means implementing strong guardrails that prevent models from generating harmful content, engaging in deceptive practices, or making decisions that violate human rights.
—Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for prevent
Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025
Iran's arch-foe Israel, which sees Tehran's nuclear programme as an existential threat, has repeatedly threatened to bomb the Islamic Republic's nuclear facilities to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
—Parisa Hafezi, USA Today, 5 June 2025
President Trump on Wednesday signed a travel ban on 12 countries, primarily in Africa and the Middle East, resurrecting an effort from his first term to prevent large numbers of immigrants and visitors from entering the United States.
—Hamed Aleaziz, New York Times, 5 June 2025
This means implementing strong guardrails that prevent models from generating harmful content, engaging in deceptive practices, or making decisions that violate human rights.
—Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for prevent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prevent
Verb
-
Treasury’s semi-annual report to Congress — called Macroeconomic and Foreign Exchange Policies of Major Trading Partners of the United States— comes as the Trump administration seeks to strike a trade deal with China, averting a trade war that has been brewing between the two nations.—
Fatima Hussein,
Fortune,
6 June 2025
-
Not until Republicans are ready and willing to make serious changes to entitlements, starting with structural reform of Medicaid and adding Medicare and Social Security to the mix, can a fiscal crisis be averted.—
The Editors,
National Review,
5 June 2025
Verb
-
The solar bill essentially prohibits local governments from establishing zoning rules that preclude large solar fields, and sets uniform statewide standards for solar sites.—
Christine Condon,
Baltimore Sun,
6 June 2025
-
His work expanded the possibilities of architecture, proving that function doesn’t preclude fantasy.—
Maya Chawla,
Architectural Digest,
6 June 2025
Verb
-
But Eisner speculates that this may have festered within Ela over the ensuing years, thereby sparking her desire for vengeance on Forde—who may have confessed to his affair with Ela to avoid being prosecuted for the 1321 raid.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
6 June 2025
-
The team’s careful planning and early outreach helped avoid problems in the future, like having to replace important music in post-production – something that simply wasn’t an option here.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prevent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prevent. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share