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
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
In one of the cases in which Antifa International intervened, dozens of activists in London last year physically prevented a busload of immigrants from being transported to a barge off southern England by slashing the vehicle’s tires and forming a blockade around the passenger bus for seven hours.
—
Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2025
About half of the world's 560 million diabetes patients suffer from diabetic neuropathy, in which damage in the calf nerve prevents sensations from the foot getting to the brain.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 27 Oct. 2025
An appropriate plastic-to-salt ratio is the key factor for preventing metal agglomeration during SAC synthesis.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2025
Andrews, 67, was the fourth living patient in the US to get a kidney transplant from a pig that had been genetically modified to help prevent organ rejection and other complications.
—Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prevent
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Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2025
About half of the world's 560 million diabetes patients suffer from diabetic neuropathy, in which damage in the calf nerve prevents sensations from the foot getting to the brain.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 27 Oct. 2025
An appropriate plastic-to-salt ratio is the key factor for preventing metal agglomeration during SAC synthesis.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2025
Andrews, 67, was the fourth living patient in the US to get a kidney transplant from a pig that had been genetically modified to help prevent organ rejection and other complications.
—Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prevent
Cite this Entry
“Prevent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prevent. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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