as in to prevent
to keep from happening by taking action in advance
brushing regularly should obviate the need for frequent trips to the dentist
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Recent Examples of obviate
But the letters don’t obviate the need for committee meetings, said Peter Lurie, a former associate FDA commissioner who heads the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
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Arthur Allen, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
But opponents say joining a regional grid could obviate California’s autonomy regarding its clean energy goals and link the Golden State with states that burn coal.
—Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Sep. 2025
Even the hefty, vintage camcorder Matthew totes around to film his documentary drops us directly into his leering point of view, crash zooming in on Oliver’s face and obviating boundaries.
—Eric Torres, Pitchfork, 27 Aug. 2025
More importantly, meeting the needs of people with lower levels of incomes is more effective in market rate construction which obviates the investment in land, construction, and operation.
—Roger Valdez, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for obviate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obviate
Verb
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Since the suitcase won’t be as easy to zip open, thieves will have a harder time seeing whether or not your belongings are valuable; this alone could prevent your bag from becoming a target.—
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Tips to Prevent Pipes from Freezing Insulation is key in preventing frozen pipes, which means plumbing in areas like attics, exterior walls, outdoor pipes, and crawl spaces, will likely require extra insulation.—
Verb
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Washington — The House easily approved bipartisan legislation Thursday to fund several federal agencies and programs through September as lawmakers work to avert the threat of another government shutdown later this month.—
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As Congress works to avert an end-of-January government shutdown, its latest spending package would largely keep the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget intact, reports Liza Gross for Inside Climate News.—
Verb
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That still shouldn’t preclude Mims from becoming a big X-factor during this upcoming playoff run.—
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David Loy, legal director of the First Amendment Coalition, said that the federal prosecution of a man accused of starting the earlier blaze does not preclude the department from discussing its actions surrounding both fires.—
Cite this Entry
“Obviate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obviate. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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