as in averts
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 prevents
The other thing to note here is Havertz’s positioning, which prevents Murphy committing to pushing up on to Eze.
—
Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
Ultraviolet light is known to accelerate collagen breakdown and uneven pigmentation, so regular use prevents further damage and maintains skin quality.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 27 Apr. 2026
Think of it like wiping down kitchen counters — a little routine effort prevents big messes from building up.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 2026
Based on its category classification, the robot knows its physical limits, which prevents it from crashing and dynamically redirects the movement to safely slide or traverse along the edge of the singularity boundary.
—Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 26 Apr. 2026
Thinning prevents crowding and allows for more air flow between seedlings.
—Heather Zidack, Hartford Courant, 26 Apr. 2026
This body-boosting spray adds volume and shine, thanks to hyaluronic acid, and also prevents breakage with hydrolyzed rice protein.
—Sarah Felbin, Allure, 26 Apr. 2026
Plus, there’s a powder coating that prevents rust and fading.
—Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2026
This prevents your router from being accessed from outside your home network.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
Ultraviolet light is known to accelerate collagen breakdown and uneven pigmentation, so regular use prevents further damage and maintains skin quality.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 27 Apr. 2026
Think of it like wiping down kitchen counters — a little routine effort prevents big messes from building up.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 2026
Based on its category classification, the robot knows its physical limits, which prevents it from crashing and dynamically redirects the movement to safely slide or traverse along the edge of the singularity boundary.
—Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 26 Apr. 2026
Thinning prevents crowding and allows for more air flow between seedlings.
—Heather Zidack, Hartford Courant, 26 Apr. 2026
This body-boosting spray adds volume and shine, thanks to hyaluronic acid, and also prevents breakage with hydrolyzed rice protein.
—Sarah Felbin, Allure, 26 Apr. 2026
Plus, there’s a powder coating that prevents rust and fading.
—Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2026
This prevents your router from being accessed from outside your home network.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prevents
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
Verb
-
The Constitution precludes that encroachment.—
Devin Dwyer,
ABC News,
22 Apr. 2026
-
That precludes Sikh members from participating in local democracy, said Mandeep Singh, the regional director of the Jakara Movement, a nonprofit for young Sikhs to advocate for their religion.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prevents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prevents. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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