as in preventing
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of obviating
While there are no modular reactors up and running yet in the United States, Albrecht said some of those in the design phase will use molten salt, helium or liquid metal to help cool the fission process, obviating the need for large amounts of water.
—
John Aguilar, Denver Post, 7 May 2026
New designs and operating methods are also obviating the noise that older-style centers once created.
—Mehdi Paryavi, Sun Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2026
The area vacated by that project — more than 30 acres — is large enough to build a new arena, obviating the need to tear down City Hall for that purpose.
—Mark Lamster
architecture Critic, Dallas Morning News, 11 Mar. 2026
Dan Lawrence’s son, Luke, piloting Ariel, which once belonged to the Roosevelts’ neighbor Archie Rogers, took the first heat, and then the second, obviating the need for a third.
—Ben McGrath, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
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
Often, the liquid gets poured right to the brim, obviating any attempt at swirling and sniffing.
—Esther Mobley, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Feb. 2022
John Aguilar, Denver Post, 7 May 2026
New designs and operating methods are also obviating the noise that older-style centers once created.
—Mehdi Paryavi, Sun Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2026
The area vacated by that project — more than 30 acres — is large enough to build a new arena, obviating the need to tear down City Hall for that purpose.
—Mark Lamster
architecture Critic, Dallas Morning News, 11 Mar. 2026
Dan Lawrence’s son, Luke, piloting Ariel, which once belonged to the Roosevelts’ neighbor Archie Rogers, took the first heat, and then the second, obviating the need for a third.
—Ben McGrath, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
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
Often, the liquid gets poured right to the brim, obviating any attempt at swirling and sniffing.
—Esther Mobley, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Feb. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obviating
Verb
-
Clark finished with 21 points, forcing Toronto to respect her scoring ability and preventing defenders from keying solely on her passing.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2026
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The maggots are thought to secrete various antibacterial compounds to ward off pathogenic bacteria and block biofilms from forming, overall preventing secondary infection.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
17 June 2026
Verb
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Understanding the gravity of a red flag warning and adhering to these precautions is paramount in averting wildfires during these perilous conditions.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
9 June 2026
-
The union representing roughly 2,000 hospitality workers at SoFi Stadium announced a tentative contract agreement Tuesday, averting a potential strike days before the venue hosts its first FIFA World Cup match.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
9 June 2026
Verb
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The astronauts must be unassigned to other missions, available for flights (for example, by not being on parental leave or on a military assignment), not in a management position precluding their participation, and in the presence of skills relevant to the mission, among other things.—
Elizabeth Howell,
Space.com,
10 June 2026
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When the primary was held in mid-May, only Republican voters - or unaffiliated voters who opted for a GOP ballot - were eligible to weigh in, precluding Cassidy from benefitting from crossover support.—
Eric McDaniel,
NPR,
30 May 2026
Verb
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There should be visibility into how the AI works, which means avoiding black box solutions.—
Tomas Gorny,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
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McClary said there has been a surge in Americans coming to his nonprofit group and partners across the country to seek help on managing debt and avoiding bankruptcy and debt collectors.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obviating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obviating. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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