avert
Verb
Verb Forms: averted, averting, averts
- To turn away one's eyes or thoughts; to prevent.
- prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening
- "avert a strike"
- turn away or aside
- "They averted their eyes when the King entered"
- To turn aside or away.
- To ward off, or prevent, the occurrence or effects of.
- To turn away.
Examples
- How can the danger be averted?
- I averted my eyes while my friend typed in her password.
- I played a blocking word to avert the disaster of him reaching the triple-word score.
Origin / Etymology
From Middle English averten, adverten, from Old French avertir (“turn, direct, avert; turn the attention, make aware”), from Latin āvertere, from ab + vertō (“to turn”).
Synonyms
avoid, debar, deflect, fend off, forefend, forfend, head off, obviate, stave off, turn away, ward off, forestall, hinder
Scrabble Score: 8
avert: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Wordavert: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
avert: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary