foreclose

Verb

keep from happening or arising; make impossible
subject to foreclosing procedures; take away the right of mortgagors to redeem their mortgage
To repossess a mortgaged property whose owner has failed to make the necessary payments; used with on.
To cut off (a mortgager) by a judgment of court from the power of redeeming the mortgaged premises.
To shut up or out; to prevent from doing something.

Examples

They have to move out of their house because the bank foreclosed on their mortgage.

Origin / Etymology

Partially from Middle English foreclosen, forclosen, from Old French forclos, past participle of forclore (“to exclude”), from for- (“(prefix used to express error, exclusion, or inadequacy)”) + clore (“to shut”), and partially from Middle English forclusen (“to close up”), from Old English forclȳsan (“to close up”), equivalent to fore- + close.

Synonyms

forbid, forestall, preclude, prevent, bar, exclude, stop

Scrabble Score: 14

foreclose: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
foreclose: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
foreclose: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 16

foreclose: valid Words With Friends Word