forestall

verb

fore·​stall fȯr-ˈstȯl 

forestalled; forestalling; forestalls

transitive verb

1

: to exclude, hinder, or prevent (something) by prior occupation or measures

Negotiations failed to forestall the conflict.

2

: to get ahead of (something) : anticipate

detailed explanations intended to forestall questions

3

: to prevent the normal trading in (something) by buying or diverting goods or by persuading people to raise prices

… forestalling the wheat harvest and selling it at three times its cost …

—George Bernard Shaw

4

archaic : intercept

… he sprang like a cat to the top of the cabin and ran aft. But his pursuers forestalling him, he doubled back across the cabin …

—Jack London

5

obsolete : obstruct, beset

forestaller noun

forestallment

fȯr-ˈstȯl-mənt 

noun

Synonyms

• avert
• head off
• help
• obviate
• preclude
• prevent
• stave off

Choose the Right Synonym for forestall

prevent, anticipate, forestall mean to deal with beforehand.

prevent implies taking advance measures against something possible or probable.

measures taken to prevent leaks

anticipate may imply merely getting ahead of another by being a precursor or forerunner or it may imply checking another's intention by acting first.

anticipated the question by making a statement

forestall implies a getting ahead so as to stop or interrupt something in its course.

hoped to forestall the sale

Examples of forestall in a Sentence

Negotiations failed to forestall the conflict.

His comments were meant to forestall criticism of his proposal.

He forestalled critics by offering a defense of the project.

Recent Examples on the Web

No one knows, and that void is forestalling any attempt to have a meaningful conversation about the future of the party. —Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025

But the greatest advantage that resilience confers is in helping countries forestall crises in the first place. —Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 13 Mar. 2025

Yet even with these challenges, Ukraine has more than proved its ability to forestall major Russian advances, in part through its embrace and refinement of new warfighting methods. —Andriy Zagorodnyuk, Foreign Affairs, 4 Mar. 2025

Sure enough, Weaver and company show up on cue, guns blazing, to forestall what is certain to be one heck of a DOGE budget cut. —Graham Hillard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from forstall act of waylaying, from Old English foresteall, from fore- + steall position, stall

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for forestall

• aerosol
• alcohol
• arbitral
• basketball
• butanol
• cannonball
• carbinol
• catarrhal
• cortisol
• ethanol
• fireball
• gasohol

Kids Definition

forestall

verb

fore·​stall fōr-ˈstȯl 

fȯr-

: to keep out, interfere with, or prevent by steps taken in advance

forestaller noun

forestallment

-ˈstȯl-mənt 

noun