averted; averting; averts
1
: to turn away or aside (the eyes, one's gaze, etc.) in avoidance
I found the sight so grotesque that I had to avert my eyes …—
John Gregory Dunne
John Gregory Dunne2
: to see coming and ward off : avoid
avert disaster
Examples of avert in a Sentence
He sped up and averted an accident.
The diplomatic talks narrowly averted a war.
an attempt to avert a strike at the plant
Recent Examples on the Web
Pakistan has announced its nomination of President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, crediting him with averting a major conflict in South Asia at a time when the U.S. leader is contemplating intervention in the Middle East.
—Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 June 2025
The day pass announcement comes after state lawmakers last month failed to pass transit reform legislation — or find funding to avert a looming $771 million fiscal cliff — during their spring legislative session.
—Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2025
Republicans are using the budget reconciliation process to advance Trump’s legislative agenda while averting the Senate filibuster.
—Miranda Nazzaro, The Hill, 18 June 2025
However, multiple analysts speaking to CNBC say a military confrontation is still likely to be averted — for now.
—Natasha Turak, CNBC, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for avert
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Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 June 2025
The day pass announcement comes after state lawmakers last month failed to pass transit reform legislation — or find funding to avert a looming $771 million fiscal cliff — during their spring legislative session.
—Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2025
Republicans are using the budget reconciliation process to advance Trump’s legislative agenda while averting the Senate filibuster.
—Miranda Nazzaro, The Hill, 18 June 2025
However, multiple analysts speaking to CNBC say a military confrontation is still likely to be averted — for now.
—Natasha Turak, CNBC, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for avert
Cite this Entry
“Avert.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/avert. Accessed 27 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
avert
verb1
: to turn away
avert one's eyes
2
: to keep from happening
averted an accident
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