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prevent - 20 thesaurus results
| Main Entry: | prevent |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | keep from happening or continuing |
| Synonyms: | anticipate, arrest, avert, avoid, baffle, balk, bar, block, check, chill*, cool, cork, counter, counteract, dam, debar, foil, forbid, forestall, frustrate, halt, hamper, head off, hinder, hold back, impede, inhibit, intercept, interdict, interrupt, limit, nip in the bud*, obstruct, obviate, preclude, prohibit, repress, restrain, restrict, retard, rule out, shut out, stave off, stop, thwart, defend against, forfend, hold off, keep lid on, put a stop to, put an end to, turn aside, ward off |
| Antonyms: | aid, allow, assist, cause, help, let go |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | avert |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | thwart; avoid by turning away |
| Synonyms: | avoid, deflect, deter, divert, fend off, foil, forestall, frustrate, halt, preclude, prevent, rule out, stave off, turn, look away, shove aside, shunt, turn aside, turn away, ward off |
| Notes: | avert means 'prevent, turn away' and avoid means 'stay clear of, shun' overt means apparent or open to view or plain or public; avert means to prevent or turn away |
| Antonyms: | aid, help |
| Main Entry: | ban |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | officially forbid |
| Synonyms: | banish, bar, blackball*, curse, disallow, enjoin, exclude, halt, inhibit, interdict, outlaw, pass by, prevent, prohibit, proscribe, restrict, shut out, suppress, close down, close up, declare illegal, ice out, illegalize, pass up |
| Antonyms: | allow, permit |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | block |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | obstruct |
| Synonyms: | arrest, bar, barricade, block out, blockade, brake, catch, charge, check, choke, clog, close, close out, cut off, dam, deter, fill, halt, hinder, hold up, impede, intercept, occlude, plug, prevent, shut out, stall, stonewall, stop, stopper, stymie, tackle, thwart, close off, congest, hang up*, interfere with, shut off*, stop up, take out of play |
| Antonyms: | let up, open, let go, unblock |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | circumvent |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | fool, mislead |
| Synonyms: | avoid, beat, beguile, bilk, bypass, cramp, crimp, deceive, detour, disappoint, dodge, dupe, elude, ensnare, entrap, escape, evade, foil, frustrate, hoodwink, outflank, outwit, overreach, prevent, queer, ruin, shun, sidestep, skirt, stave off, stump, stymie, thwart, trick, circumnavigate, get around, steer clear of, ward off |
| Antonyms: | aid, allow, assist, help, permit |
| Main Entry: | counteract |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | do opposing action |
| Synonyms: | annul, buck, cancel, check, contravene, correct, counterbalance, cross, defeat, fix, foil, frustrate, halt, hinder, invalidate, negate, negative, neutralize, offset, oppose, prevent, rectify, redress, resist, right, thwart, cancel out, countercheck, countervail, counterwork, go against |
| Antonyms: | aid, approve, assist, help, support |
| Main Entry: | delay |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | cause stop in action |
| Synonyms: | adjourn, arrest, bar, block, check, choke, clog, confine, curb, dawdle, defer, detain, deter, dilly-dally*, discourage, drag, encumber, filibuster, hamper, hold, impede, inhibit, interfere, keep, lag, linger, loiter, obstruct, postpone, prevent, procrastinate, prolong, protract, put off, repress, restrict, retard, shelve, slacken, stall, stave off, stay, suspend, table, tarry, temporize, withhold, bide time, gain time, hold over, intermit, keep back, lay over, prorogue, remand |
| Antonyms: | advance, dispatch, expedite, further, hasten, hurry, rush, speed |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | deter |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | check, inhibit from action |
| Synonyms: | avert, block, caution, chill, cool, damp, dampen, daunt, debar, discourage, dissuade, divert, forestall, frighten, hinder, impede, intimidate, obstruct, obviate, preclude, prevent, prohibit, put off, restrain, rule out, scare, shut out, stave off, stop, turn off, warn, act like a wet blanket, disadvise, forfend, put a damper on, talk out of, throw cold water on |
| Antonyms: | encourage, instigate, persuade, promote, stimulate, support, turn on, urge, put on to |
| Main Entry: | discomfit |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | defeat, frustrate; confuse |
| Synonyms: | abash, annoy, baffle, balk, beat, bother, checkmate, confound, demoralize, discompose, disconcert, discountenance, disturb, embarrass, faze, fluster, foil, irk, outwit, overcome, perplex, perturb, prevent, rattle, ruffle, thwart, unsettle, upset, vex, worry, worst, take aback, trump |
| Antonyms: | surrender, yield |
| Main Entry: | dissuade |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | talk out of |
| Synonyms: | chicken out*, counsel, deprecate, derail, deter, discourage, divert, exhort, expostulate, faze, hinder, prevent, prick, put off, remonstrate, throw off, thwart, turn off*, warn, advise against, caution against, cry out against, disadvise, disincline, lean on, persuade not to, throw a wet blanket on, throw cold water on, urge not to |
| Antonyms: | incite, persuade, talk into |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | exclude |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | expel, forbid |
| Synonyms: | ban, bar, blackball*, blacklist, block, bounce, boycott, close out, count out, debar, disallow, eject, eliminate, embargo, estop, evict, except, get rid of, ignore, interdict, obviate, occlude, omit, ostracize, oust, pass over, preclude, prevent, prohibit, proscribe, put out, refuse, reject, remove, repudiate, rule out, shut out, sideline, suspend, throw out, veto, bate, drive out, force out, keep out, leave out, lock out, refuse admittance, set aside, shut the door on, ward off |
| Antonyms: | accept, add, admit, allow, include, incorporate, take on, welcome |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | foil |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | circumvent, nip in the bud |
| Synonyms: | baffle, balk, beat, bilk, check, checkmate, counter, cramp, crimp, curb, dash, defeat, disappoint, disconcert, ditch, dodge, duck, elude, faze, foul up*, frustrate, hinder, nullify, outwit, prevent, rattle, restrain, shake, shake off, skip, stop, stymie, thwart, bollix, buffalo, crab, get around*, give the run-around, give the slip, hang up*, juke, run circles around, run rings around, shuffle off, throw monkey wrench in, upset the apple cart |
| Antonyms: | abet, aid, assist, help |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | forbid |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | outlaw, prohibit an action |
| Synonyms: | ban, block, cancel, censor, check, debar, deny, deprive, disallow, embargo, enjoin, exclude, forestall, freeze*, halt, hinder, hold up, impede, inhibit, interdict, nix*, obstruct, obviate, oppose, preclude, prevent, proscribe, restrain, restrict, rule out, shut down, shut out*, spike*, stop, stymie*, taboo*, veto, withhold, declare illegal, forfend, lock up, put the chill on, say no |
| Antonyms: | allow, approve, authorize, permit, sanction |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | frustrate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | thwart, disappoint |
| Synonyms: | annul, arrest, baffle, balk, bar, beat, block, cancel, check, circumvent, confront, conquer, counter, counteract, cramp, cramp one's style, crimp, dash, dash one's hope, defeat, depress, discourage, dishearten, foil, forbid, forestall, foul up*, give the run around, halt, hang up*, hinder, hold up, impede, inhibit, lick, negate, neutralize, nullify, obstruct, obviate, outwit, overcome, preclude, prevent, prohibit, render null and void, ruin, stump*, stymie*, upset the applecart* |
| Antonyms: | aid, assist, cooperate, encourage, facilitate, help, support |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | hamper |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | impede, restrict |
| Synonyms: | baffle, balk, bar, bind, block, check, clog, cramp, cramp one's style, cumber, curb, drag one's feet, embarrass, encumber, entangle, fetter, foil, frustrate, get in the way, hamstring*, handicap, hang up*, hinder, hobble, hog-tie, hold up*, inconvenience, inhibit, interfere with, leash, obstruct, prevent, restrain, retard, shackle, slow down, stymie, thwart, tie, tie one's hands, tie up, trammel |
| Antonyms: | aid, allow, assist, encourage, expedite, help, permit, promote |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | hold back/hold off |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | repress |
| Synonyms: | bit, bridle, check, control, curb, defer, delay, deny, forbear, inhibit, keep, postpone, prevent, put off, refrain, refuse, restrain, stop, suppress, withhold, hold down, hold in, keep back, keep out |
| Antonyms: | reveal, let go |
| Main Entry: | intercept |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | head off; interrupt |
| Synonyms: | ambush, appropriate, arrest, block, catch, check, curb, cut in, cut off, deflect, hijack, hinder, interpose, obstruct, prevent, seize, stop, take, head off at pass, interlope, make off with, shortstop, take away |
| Antonyms: | abet, forward, help |
| Main Entry: | interfere |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | meddle, intervene |
| Synonyms: | baffle, balk, barge in, busybody*, butt in*, conflict, discommode, foil, frustrate, hamper, handicap, hinder, hold up, horn in, impede, inconvenience, inhibit, intercede, intermediate, interpose, intrude, jam, make*, obstruct, obtrude, oppose, prevent, remit, step in, stop, suspend, tamper, thwart, trammel, trouble, fool with, get in the way, get involved, hang up*, incommode, interlope, intermeddle, intermit, mix in, poke nose in |
| Antonyms: | aid, assist, help |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | interrupt |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | bother, interfere |
| Synonyms: | arrest, barge in, break, break in, break off, butt in*, check, come between, crash, cut, cut off*, cut short*, defer, delay, disconnect, discontinue, disjoin, disturb, disunite, divide, halt, heckle, hinder, hold up, horn in, impede, infringe, inject, insinuate, intrude, obstruct, prevent, punctuate, separate, sever, stay, stop, suspend, break train of thought, bust in, chime in*, crowd in, cut in on, edge in, get in the way, in, lay aside, put in, shortstop, work in |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | muzzle |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | gag, quiet |
| Synonyms: | bottle up*, censor, check, choke, cork, curb, hush, ice*, muffle, prevent, repress, restrain, restrict, shut down, silence, squash, squelch, stifle, still, stop, suppress, trammel, clamp down on, crack down on, dry up*, dummy up, quieten, shush, tongue-tie |
| Antonyms: | free, liberate, let go |
* = informal/non-formal usage
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2009 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2009 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2009, Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
