How to Use prevent in a Sentence

prevent

verb
Definition of preventnext
Synonyms for preventnext
  • How are you going to prevent him from finding out about the party?
  • But the loss of crop from the freezes prevented them from doing so.
    — Evan Lasseter, ajc, 10 July 2023
  • The stand is made out of acacia and includes feet on the bottom to prevent scratches.
    — Jessica Comstock, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Jan. 2024
  • What can be done to prevent and deter bats from entering your home in the first place?
    — Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 27 June 2023
  • Plus, the wide straps are lined with soft microfiber to prevent chafing and blisters.
    — Sara Coughlin, SELF, 18 June 2024
  • Also, be sure to wet the inside of the mold with a little water to prevent the rice from clinging to it.
    — Hetal Vasavada, Bon Appétit, 18 Feb. 2024
  • Comics rely on censors to prevent them from going over the line.
    — Chang Che, The New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2024
  • Live sporting events are one of the last things preventing people from cutting the cord.
    — Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 7 Feb. 2024
  • The stones also weigh down the vase to counteract any heavy stems and prevent it from toppling.
    — Mackenzie Nichols, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 June 2024
  • Will bad weather prevent him from having the chance to attempt it?
    — Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 26 May 2024
  • It is made of a soft cotton-fleece blend fabric, a zipper garage to prevent chafing and a high neck.
    — Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 19 Feb. 2024
  • Lee Kun Hee, late chairman of Samsung, went to great lengths to prevent unions from forming.
    — Rachel Ventresca, Fortune Asia, 7 June 2024
  • Wear safety glasses to prevent a leaf or tendril from whipping in your eye and a face mask or scarf over your face.
    — Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 July 2024
  • Boeing failed to set up a proper system to prevent and detect fraud.
    — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 1 July 2024
  • Luckily, there is a way to prevent such a headache from happening.
    — Leo Bertucci, The Courier-Journal, 13 Jan. 2024
  • Jorgensen said there was nothing in the soil report to prevent the board from moving forward with the boundary plan.
    — Al Gaspeny, arkansasonline.com, 1 Mar. 2024
  • This will prevent the slow chemical degradation of the fuel in the mower over the winter.
    — Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 10 July 2023
  • The state tries to prevent the flies from entering on fruit brought from places such as Southeast Asia, the Pacific islands and Hawaii.
    — Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2024
  • Blood thinners are a class of medications that help prevent the formation of blood clots in the blood vessels.
    — Steffini Stalos, Health, 25 July 2024
  • Then there were the injuries, beginning with a back ailment that prevented Riquna Williams, a key part of the team’s title run in 2022, from suiting up.
    — Tom Orsborn, San Antonio Express-News, 30 Dec. 2023
  • The message is clear: Organizers have gone to great lengths to prevent a traffic jam or hurt feelings at the opening.
    — Lawrence Specker | Lspecker@al.com, al, 9 July 2023
  • Word of mouth could prevent the second-weekend slump that usually plagues scary movies.
    — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 29 Oct. 2023
  • According to our experts, the best way to clean a gel mattress topper is by spot-cleaning to prevent any damage.
    — Nor'adila Hepburn, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2023
  • Be sure to roll your cart somewhere safe during inclement weather to prevent it from rusting.
    — Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Aug. 2023
  • Booms have been placed in the water to prevent any hazardous materials from spreading, Fox said.
    — Phil Helsel, NBC News, 21 Nov. 2023
  • Strikes by actors and writers have ground Tinseltown to a halt, preventing stars from showing up at San Diego’s big show.
    — Natallie Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 July 2023
  • Rodgers wound up winning back-to-back MVPs, but that didn't prevent the relationship from falling apart.
    — Ryan Morik, Fox News, 28 Oct. 2023
  • Fouling on boats and machinery can be a big problem, and scientists are searching for ways to prevent it.
    — Discover Magazine, 12 Jan. 2024
  • Keep in Mind Only the backing is waterproof, meaning the floors underneath will stay safe, but the top would still need to be suitably dried if wet to prevent mold build-up.
    — Kat De Naoum, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Oct. 2023
  • Then, give it a spritz of an antiseptic or sterilizing spray to prevent the spread of any plant diseases.
    — Kat De Naoum, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 July 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prevent.' 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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