Meaning & use
forestall
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To stop something from happening by doing something before it can occur.
Grammar: Takes an object: forestall a problem.
Patterns
- forestall something
- forestall an event
- forestall criticism
The government raised interest rates to forestall inflation.
She sent a polite email to forestall any misunderstanding about the schedule.
By acting quickly, the company forestalled a strike.
verbtransitive
To act before someone else so as to prevent them from doing something.
Grammar: Often used with a person as object: forestall a rival.
Patterns
- forestall someone
- forestall a competitor
The firm bought the land to forestall its rivals from building a competing store.
He announced his plan early to forestall his critics.
The senator moved to forestall the opposition by calling for a vote.
Word forms
| third person singular | forestalls |
|---|---|
| past tense | forestalled |
| past participle | forestalled |
| -ing form | forestalling |
Common combinations
- forestall criticism
- The mayor released the report early to forestall criticism from the press.
- forestall a crisis
- Quick action by the central bank helped forestall a financial crisis.
- forestall a strike
- The union accepted the offer, forestalling a strike.
- forestall the need for
- Better planning could forestall the need for emergency repairs.
Synonyms and how they differ
- prevent
- Prevent is the general word for stopping something; forestall emphasizes acting early and deliberately.
- preempt
- Preempt is similar but often used when you take action to replace what someone else would do; forestall focuses on stopping an event.
- avert
- Avert is used mainly with disasters or dangers; forestall can be used with a wider range of events.
Opposites
Word family
- forestalling noun
- The act of preventing something by acting in advance.
Practice
The company lowered its prices to ______ a price war with its main competitor.
Choose one answer.
"Forestall" means to prevent by acting first. "Foretell" means to predict, and "foreshadow" means to be a sign of something coming, neither of which fits the idea of preventing.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “forestall”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.