PREVENTS Synonyms: 74 Similar and Opposite Words

prevents

verb

present tense third-person singular of prevent

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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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 prevents The federal agency is asking the court to order financial compensation for the former employee and to ensure the company prevents future discrimination. — Charlotte Observer, 31 Aug. 2026 This balance prevents the charge pile-up that normally creates a dangerous electric-field spike when the transistor turns off. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026 Although vaccination prevents measles, trust determines whether people accept the vaccine. — Omer Awan, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs has been placed on the NFL’s commissioner exempt list while two misdemeanor charges against him are pending, a move that prevents him from practicing or attending games. — Steve Megargee, Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2026 Penalty relief is a broad term for when the IRS reduces, removes, or prevents a penalty. — Jamela Adam, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 Moreno, who was present for the reading of the verdict, is 73 years old and has a physical disability that prevents him from walking. — ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026 Medical examiners typically cremate remains after a certain period of time if they are not claimed, which prevents family members from making an identification at a later time, Hess said. — Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026 Turning Save Media off prevents future media from being saved to that history. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for prevents

Verb

The author's experience shows caution, though slower, averts problems, contrasting with industry's rapid deployments that often encounter issues.

— Shannon McKeen, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
The deal averts a ballot referendum that backers from the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association said would’ve reigned in expansive local real estate taxes.

— Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 26 June 2026

Definition of averts

Verb

The nature of the structure — with roadways cantilevered out under the Brooklyn Heights Promenade — precludes replacing one lane at a time, city officials told reporters last week.

— Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 24 Aug. 2026
The authority of objects derives from their imperviousness—but too total an imperviousness precludes writing and action altogether.

— Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of precludes

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preventives

prevents

preview

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“Prevents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prevents. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of prevents

verb

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