prevented; preventing; prevents
1
: to keep from happening or existing
steps to prevent war
3
: to deprive of power or hope of acting or succeeding
4
archaic
a
: to be in readiness for (something, such as an occasion)
b
: to meet or satisfy in advance
c
: to act ahead of
d
: to go or arrive before
: to interpose an obstacle
preventer
noun
Synonyms
Examples of prevent in a Sentence
Seatbelts in cars often prevent serious injuries.
Can exercise and a healthy diet prevent heart disease?
The accident could have been prevented.
He grabbed my arm to prevent me from falling.
Bad weather prevented us from leaving.
How are you going to prevent him from finding out about the party?
Recent Examples on the Web
The rules were intended to prevent Social Security from overpaying people who worked in non-covered pension jobs, policy experts said.
—
Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024
If the two programs continue to enjoy their success on the field, not facing each other during the regular AAC schedule could do them both a favor by preventing either team from picking up a key loss that propels another team into the conference title game.
—Matt Weyrich, Baltimore Sun, 13 Dec. 2024
Effective governance means regularly auditing the AI's outputs, ensuring compliance with industry standards and continuously refining the system to prevent potential errors or biases from affecting business processes.
—Hemant Madaan, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
Hidalgo beat the Huskies in the previous meeting with her rim pressure, as UConn failed to prevent her from driving to her right.
—Sabreena Merchant, The Athletic, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for prevent 
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Cite this Entry
“Prevent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prevent. Accessed 24 Dec. 2024.
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