as in prevents
to keep from happening by taking action in advance
you can often forestall skidding on the ice simply by driving more slowly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forestalls
Verb
-
Helium enables smooth production of semiconductors since the gas prevents unwanted chemical reactions in the manufacturing process.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
31 Mar. 2026 -
Using a combination of durable ceramic materials and specialized membranes, the filtration unit can remove extremely small contaminants while maintaining stable operation through a self-cleaning thermal mechanism that prevents buildup and degradation over time.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
For now and unless Williams changes his mind again, the move averts a potential historic litigation where Washington planned to sue Williams over his plan to switch schools.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The Corps project averts potential catastrophic flooding that could lay siege to about 475,000 residents, California and the nation, according to the government’s court documents.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
8 Nov. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Forestalls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forestalls. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
