Forestall
/fɔːrˈstɔːl/verb
To stop or delay someone or something from happening.
She managed to forestall the eviction by paying her rent just in time.
Often appears as...
- forestall disaster
- forestall eviction
Definition 1 of 2
Pro Tip 1/3Proactive Action
Forestall is used when someone takes early action to prevent an issue.
By raising the issue early, we could forestall any confusion.
Pro Tip 2/3Time Sensitivity
The term often implies acting just before something happens.
Katie forestalled the leak by fixing the roof just before the rain started.
Pro Tip 3/3Urgency Nuance
Using 'forestall' can add a sense of urgency to the need to prevent something.
To forestall the crisis, immediate action is required.
Compare with
anticipateblockhinderobstructprecludepreventstopthwart
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