as in prevented
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 obviated
But a constant churn of financial maneuvers (spinning off Saks’ e-commerce, creating co-working spaces in underutilized stores, all while being highly leveraged) brought some benefit but never obviated the need to invest more in basics.
—
Phil Wahba, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
The new contactless system has obviated any need, or rationale, to offer discounts for people who use Clipper.
—Rachel Swan, San Francisco Chronicle, 16 Dec. 2025
Phil Wahba, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
The new contactless system has obviated any need, or rationale, to offer discounts for people who use Clipper.
—Rachel Swan, San Francisco Chronicle, 16 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obviated
Verb
-
On Sunday, police prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa from entering the church, citing security concerns as Israel enforces a ban on gatherings in synagogues, churches and mosques during the ongoing war with Iran, which has brought missile strikes near holy sites.—
Lucia I Suarez Sang,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Without its approval, countries face default and can effectively be prevented from accessing long- and short-term trade credit — credit that facilitates the uninterrupted flow of goods across borders, and can be compared to a country’s life blood.—
Sven van Mourik,
The Dial,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
And if the lab finds the two samples to be a definite mismatch, an unthinkable error will have been averted at the last possible moment.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The school district, just west of Charlotte across the Catawba River, averted 100 layoffs last week and potentially 300 more by the end of the school year with an emergency $10 million from Gaston County commissioners.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
At the same time, my intimate awareness of the many challenges, setbacks, and disasters of postcolonial nation building during the cold war precluded the reflexive Western attitude toward Iran of fear and loathing underpinned by near-total ignorance.—
Pankaj Mishra,
The New York Review of Books,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Reflecting the global reach of American hegemony, as well as the way the bureaucratic style of Soviet espionage precluded such individual initiative, eighteen of these thirty operatives were Americans.—
Alfred McCoy,
Literary Hub,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obviated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obviated. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
