averting 1 of 2

noun

as in prevention
the act or practice of keeping something from happening the averting of forest fires can be helped by the clearing of dry underbrush

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

averting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of avert
as in preventing
to keep from happening by taking action in advance her careful planning averted disaster

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 averting
Verb
The first step in averting this spiral toward catastrophe is for both Beijing and Washington to bear in mind that these economic tools were not designed as weapons. — Gloria Xiong, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026 America’s greatest rival is single-handedly averting a global energy crisis. — Rogé Karma, The Atlantic, 29 July 2026 In 2026, Mattel is doubling down and averting any PR blunders with a Holiday Barbie that, by all accounts, looks genuinely gorgeous. — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 29 July 2026 Understanding the gravity of a red flag warning and adhering to these precautions is paramount in averting wildfires during these perilous conditions. — Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026 An infusion of new federal housing funds has spared about 4,200 formerly homeless Angelenos from losing their rent subsidies in December, averting a looming wave of evictions. — Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026 The union representing roughly 2,000 hospitality workers at SoFi Stadium announced a tentative contract agreement Tuesday, averting a potential strike days before the venue hosts its first FIFA World Cup match. — City News Service, Daily News, 9 June 2026 Workers at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles reached a tentative agreement with management, averting the threat of a strike days before hosting the US team’s first World Cup football match. — Yash Roy, Bloomberg, 9 June 2026 The electric-vehicle maker’s accord with three workers was disclosed Wednesday in a court filing, averting a series of trials that were set to start earlier this week in state court in Oakland. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 4 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for averting
  1. prevention
  2. preventing
Noun
  • If the first phase of the GLP-1 beauty boom was reactive, the next is likely to be defined by prevention, personalization, and products built around the changing body.
    — Perdita Nouril, Vogue, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Under a 2019 law brought by Newsom to protect utilities from bankruptcy, the companies automatically are deemed to have acted prudently if regulators sign off on their wildfire prevention plan.
    — Melody Petersen, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of prevention
Verb
  • Pharmaceutical giants Moderna and Merck said Wednesday that an experimental vaccine treatment has shown signs of preventing cancer from returning or spreading in a study of high-risk melanoma patients.
    — Aria Bendix, NBC news, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The display defied restrictions preventing Israeli participants from competing under their national flag.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of preventing

Browse Nearby Words

averted
averting
averts
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Averting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/averting. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on averting

Nglish: Translation of averting for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All