as in averting
to keep from happening by taking action in advance
a lot of problems would have been prevented if we'd just prepared better
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Recent Examples of preventing
The hearing room broke into emotional cheers Tuesday evening when the Sacramento County Board of Education voted to overturn Twin Rivers Unified School District’s decision to revoke the charter for Highlands Community Charter and Technical Schools, preventing the schools from being forcibly closed.
—
Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 20 May 2026
Trump has argued that a temporary spike in energy prices is a small price to pay for the security benefits of preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 20 May 2026
If your current debt structure is preventing that freedom, the solution isn’t always more outside capital.
—Nathan Mor, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Improving access to care and preventing antibiotic resistance, which costs our health care system billions of dollars every year.
—Juli McDonald, CBS News, 20 May 2026
But preventing corrosion and mineral buildup inside the extraction system is a great challenge.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 19 May 2026
There are no state regulations preventing voters from bringing a furry companion along for the wait.
—Rose Evans, Idaho Statesman, 19 May 2026
If done correctly, pruning can remove dead and diseased portions of a plant, preventing infection and keeping it in ideal shape.
—Emily Hayes, Martha Stewart, 19 May 2026
So, if Israeli forces pull back, there would have to be another solution to preventing Hamas from retaking it.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 19 May 2026
Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 20 May 2026
Trump has argued that a temporary spike in energy prices is a small price to pay for the security benefits of preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 20 May 2026
If your current debt structure is preventing that freedom, the solution isn’t always more outside capital.
—Nathan Mor, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Improving access to care and preventing antibiotic resistance, which costs our health care system billions of dollars every year.
—Juli McDonald, CBS News, 20 May 2026
But preventing corrosion and mineral buildup inside the extraction system is a great challenge.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 19 May 2026
There are no state regulations preventing voters from bringing a furry companion along for the wait.
—Rose Evans, Idaho Statesman, 19 May 2026
If done correctly, pruning can remove dead and diseased portions of a plant, preventing infection and keeping it in ideal shape.
—Emily Hayes, Martha Stewart, 19 May 2026
So, if Israeli forces pull back, there would have to be another solution to preventing Hamas from retaking it.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 19 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preventing
Verb
-
Understanding the gravity of a red flag warning and adhering to these precautions is paramount in averting wildfires during these perilous conditions.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
15 May 2026
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The attempt went wide right, however, temporarily averting disaster.—
Ryan Finley,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But even after hearing from Kelly and several distressed homeowners at the March 9 City Council meeting, Council members couldn’t reach consensus on key elements of the proposal, precluding a necessary approval for the ordinance to advance.—
Claire Murphy,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
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Brady is a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, which has played a large role in precluding a return.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The match came down to him and Elijah after the latter was able to toss members of The System out of the ring while also avoiding Frankie Kazarian trying to get back into the match following his own elimination.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
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That would be a mistake worth avoiding, though.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Preventing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preventing. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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