forestalls

verb

present tense third-person singular of forestall
as in prevents
to keep from happening by taking action in advance you can often forestall skidding on the ice simply by driving more slowly

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 forestalls Grant asks Chris about the boxing gloves now for sale in the night store, but Katie forestalls him by running over and grabbing them, nearly flattening Chris. — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 16 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forestalls
  1. prevents
  2. averts
Verb
  • Barnes is cold-based, and thus frozen directly onto the bedrock beneath it, which prevents it from sliding.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 24 Oct. 2026
  • This method prevents nitrogen from diluting the exhaust gas, which hinders combustion and keeps the CO₂ concentration relatively low.
    — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of prevents
Verb
  • But multiple studies have shown the flu vaccine reduces the disease’s severity and averts hospitalizations and deaths.
    — Lena H. Sun, Washington Post, 4 Oct. 2026
  • At every save point, the game forces James to stare at his reflection, and after the story’s plot twist, James averts his eyes, unable to face his own guilt.
    — Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of averts

Browse Nearby Words

forestallment
forestalls
forester
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Cite this Entry

“Forestalls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forestalls. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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