as in to prevent
to keep from happening by taking action in advance
you can often forestall skidding on the ice simply by driving more slowly
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of forestall
But the greatest advantage that resilience confers is in helping countries forestall crises in the first place.
—
Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 13 Mar. 2025
Yet even with these challenges, Ukraine has more than proved its ability to forestall major Russian advances, in part through its embrace and refinement of new warfighting methods.
—Andriy Zagorodnyuk, Foreign Affairs, 4 Mar. 2025
Sure enough, Weaver and company show up on cue, guns blazing, to forestall what is certain to be one heck of a DOGE budget cut.
—Graham Hillard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Feb. 2025
Jokes are safer, forestalling opinion—and thereby contention—by forgoing one.
—Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forestall
Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 13 Mar. 2025
Yet even with these challenges, Ukraine has more than proved its ability to forestall major Russian advances, in part through its embrace and refinement of new warfighting methods.
—Andriy Zagorodnyuk, Foreign Affairs, 4 Mar. 2025
Sure enough, Weaver and company show up on cue, guns blazing, to forestall what is certain to be one heck of a DOGE budget cut.
—Graham Hillard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Feb. 2025
Jokes are safer, forestalling opinion—and thereby contention—by forgoing one.
—Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forestall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forestall
Verb
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Nations begin to covet their AI and set up barriers to prevent other nations from stealing or copying the early AGI systems. Year 2037: Advances in AI showcase human-like situational adaptability and innovation.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
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Sabalenka’s 7-6 (1), 4-6, 6-0 win in the semifinals prevents Swiatek from becoming the first woman to win four consecutive championships in Paris.—
Howard Fendrich,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2025
Verb
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The enclave needs at least 500 to 600 trucks daily to avert a deepening humanitarian catastrophe, as civilians face a severe shortage of supplies like food and medicine, said UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees in Gaza.—
Jeremy Diamond,
CNN Money,
26 May 2025
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Matthew Barrett, president and CEO of the Connecticut Association of Health Care Facilities, the state’s largest nursing home coalition, praised Lamont and union leadership for averting a work stoppage.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forestall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forestall. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.
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