forestalled; forestalling; forestalls
1
: to exclude, hinder, or prevent (something) by prior occupation or measures
Negotiations failed to forestall the conflict.
2
: to get ahead of (something) : anticipate
detailed explanations intended to forestall questions
3
: to prevent the normal trading in (something) by buying or diverting goods or by persuading people to raise prices
… forestalling the wheat harvest and selling it at three times its cost …—George Bernard Shaw
4
archaic
: intercept
… he sprang like a cat to the top of the cabin and ran aft. But his pursuers forestalling him, he doubled back across the cabin …—Jack London
forestaller
noun
fore·stall·er
-lə(r)
plural -s
1
: one that forestalls
broadly
: middleman sense 3a
2
: the act or offense of forestalling
Cite this Entry
“Forestall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forestall. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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