How to Use preventive in a Sentence

preventive

1 of 2 adjective
  • Farmers are covering their crops as a preventive measure against frost.
  • We'll take whatever preventive action is necessary.
  • That’s where most of the preventive work should start.
    Judy Koutsky, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
  • Don’t skip out on preventive care.
    Karon Warren, AJC.com, 11 June 2026
  • That's why a preventive approach makes sense.
    Allison Aubrey, NPR, 1 June 2026
  • Are there any preventive measures to avoid future clogs in the sink drain?
    Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 18 Sep. 2025
  • Are there any preventive measures to avoid future clogs in the sink drain?
    Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 8 May 2026
  • This means there is little time to practice preventive medicine.
    Bryant Stamford, Louisville Courier Journal, 18 Sep. 2025
  • At least to create any sort of sweeping, preventive change.
    Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 25 Feb. 2026
  • This work will not just be responsive, but preventive.
    Zohran Mamdani, New York Daily News, 17 June 2026
  • Okay, on to the illnesses and preventive measures to have on your radar!
    Julia Ries, SELF, 21 June 2023
  • The bottom line is that people should stay engaged with preventive care.
    Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 11 Dec. 2025
  • Even women in their 20s are going to med spas for preventive care.
    Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2026
  • Kohler said he was intrigued by the new study’s finding that methylphenidate can play a preventive role in younger children.
    David Cox, NBC news, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Clearly, preventive medicine can make a big difference to health.
    Lola Butcher, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Aug. 2023
  • Fewer sick days mean more learning days, and these preventive steps pay dividends all year.
    Brian Castrucci, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Speaking of grandma, nursing homes have failed to keep pace with life-saving preventive care.
    Allison Hope, CNN, 20 Dec. 2022
  • If the score crosses a certain threshold, the bank might take preventive action.
    IEEE Spectrum, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Use a season-long preventive grub treatment in spring or early summer.
    Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2026
  • Use a season-long preventive grub treatment in spring or early summer.
    Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 6 Oct. 2025
  • And yet, for too many Americans, preventive health care remains out of reach.
    Dan Amos, Time, 4 Feb. 2026
  • Adopters will also be given dog food, treats, toys and a month’s worth of flea and tick treatments and heartworm preventive.
    Nour Rahal, Detroit Free Press, 3 Apr. 2023
  • For example, preventive care is one of the highest-leverage moves an owner can make.
    Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Here are expert suggestions on some of the best preventive measures — and what’s not worth the money.
    Laura Daily, Washington Post, 19 Dec. 2023
  • Sardone adds that sprays are great for maintenance as well as preventive cleaning to help ensure your tile stays sparkling.
    Brittany Vanderbill, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Mar. 2023
  • Anything that fosters a thick, lush lawn can be considered a preventive measure against weeds.
    David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 11 May 2026
  • In the meantime, owners of naughty dogs can take preventive steps such as placing a baby gate at the entrance or a crate by the door.
    Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
  • And the news about these preventive drugs came out long before social media could amplify that message.
    Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 13 Nov. 2023
  • Exercise is one of the most effective forms of preventive medicine available.
    Fred Sassani, Austin American Statesman, 29 Jan. 2026
  • Parents should be aware of these risks and take preventive actions accordingly.
    Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 1 May 2026

preventive

2 of 2 noun
  • Many people turned to alcohol as a preventive or a cure.
    Kiona N. Smith, Forbes, 2021-03-01
  • Versions of the cocktail knocked around the island, both as a preventive for cholera and as a way to make harsh rum more palatable.
    Matthew Kronsberg, WSJ, 2022-03-01
  • Any dog infected with heartworm will also be prescribed a heartworm preventive.
    Claire Rafford, The Indianapolis Star, 2022-06-21
  • Use preventives like topical creams, chewable tablets or injectables.
    Caitlin Anderson, Twin Cities, 2019-09-23
  • Regular moderate exercise is an effective treatment and preventive for both types of pain.
    Dr. Keith Roach, oregonlive, 2022-03-07
  • Scientists in the consortium, co-led by Galanopoulou, are studying potential preventives, too.
    Jennifer Couzin-Frankel, Science | AAAS, 2019-12-12
  • ViiV is campaigning for insurers to add the injectable preventive to their lists of covered medications.
    NBC News, 2022-02-15
  • And women—particularly young Black women—are less likely to receive treatment, either preventive or once a heart attack has already occurred.
    Jyoti Madhusoodanan, Scientific American, 2022-05-19
  • Launched in 1938, DES was marketed as a preventive for miscarriages and premature births.
    Jyoti Madhusoodanan/undark, Popular Science, 2020-10-02
  • But there is concern for those who remain unvaccinated and have leaned on Regeneron or other similar cocktails as a coronavirus preventive or treatment if they are infected.
    Arkansas Online, 2021-12-17
  • The findings point to the possibility of microbiota manipulation as a preventive for Alzheimer’s.
    Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 2021-06-10
  • In these more favorable situations, local fire crews have the authority and incentive to quickly take advantage of preventive-burn opportunities.
    Kiliii Yüyan, History & Culture, 2020-12-17
  • Hydroxychloroquine is an arthritis medicine that also can be used as a preventive or treatment for malaria, a red blood cell infection transmitted by a mosquito bite, according to the Mayo Clinic.
    Kelly Tyko, USA TODAY, 2020-10-03
  • According to the Mayo Clinic, some common preventive medications include: Tricyclic antidepressants, which a person would take as a daily pill in very low doses.
    Sara Gaynes Levy, SELF, 2021-11-17

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'preventive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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