as in to prevent
to keep from happening by taking action in advance
brushing regularly should obviate the need for frequent trips to the dentist
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 obviate
By the end of last fiscal year, about $262 million collected from Measure X had not been spent, with about half locked-in for key projects and about half that county leaders could reallocate to help obviate the need for another tax hike.
—
East Bay Times Editorial,
Mercury News,
1 May 2026
Conveying a very hawkish signal about the outlook for rates may obviate the need to actually raise them.
—
The Week Uk,
TheWeek,
28 Mar. 2026
New designs and operating methods are also obviating the noise that older-style centers once created.
—
Mehdi Paryavi,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Mar. 2026
The area vacated by that project — more than 30 acres — is large enough to build a new arena, obviating the need to tear down City Hall for that purpose.
—
Mark Lamster
architecture Critic,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obviate
East Bay Times Editorial,
Mercury News,
1 May 2026
Conveying a very hawkish signal about the outlook for rates may obviate the need to actually raise them.
—
The Week Uk,
TheWeek,
28 Mar. 2026
New designs and operating methods are also obviating the noise that older-style centers once created.
—
Mehdi Paryavi,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Mar. 2026
The area vacated by that project — more than 30 acres — is large enough to build a new arena, obviating the need to tear down City Hall for that purpose.
—
Mark Lamster
architecture Critic,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obviate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obviate
Verb
-
Cloud cover prevented a California Highway Patrol helicopter from reaching the injured climber directly, forcing the rescue to unfold in stages.
-
Increasing staff at medical facilities during heat waves could also prevent unnecessary deaths.
Verb
-
The author's experience shows caution, though slower, averts problems, contrasting with industry's rapid deployments that often encounter issues.
-
The deal averts a ballot referendum that backers from the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association said would’ve reigned in expansive local real estate taxes.
Verb
-
Any change to the City Charter would not preclude the council from scheduling additional special meetings.
-
But this divine similarity evidently did nothing to preclude slavery, patriarchy, and the many other social hierarchies depicted elsewhere in the Bible.
Cite this Entry
“Obviate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obviate. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
