forestall

Verb

keep from happening or arising; make impossible
act in advance of; deal with ahead of time
To prevent, delay or hinder something by taking precautionary or anticipatory measures; to avert.
To preclude or bar from happening, render impossible.
To purchase the complete supply of a good, particularly foodstuffs, in order to charge a monopoly price.
To anticipate, to act foreseeingly.
To deprive (with of).
To obstruct or stop up, as a road; to stop the passage of a highway; to intercept on the road, as goods on the way to market.

Noun

An ambush; plot; an interception; waylaying; rescue.
Something situated or placed in front.

Examples

Fred forestalled disaster by his prompt action.
In French, an aspired h forestalls elision.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English forestallen (“to forestall, intercept, ambush, way-lay”), from forestalle (“a forestalling, interception”), from Old English foresteall (“intervention, hindrance of justice, ambush”), from fore- (“ahead of, before”) + steall (“position”), equivalent to fore- + stall.

Synonyms

anticipate, counter, forbid, foreclose, foresee, preclude, prevent

Scrabble Score: 12

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

Words With Friends Score: 14

forestall: valid Words With Friends Word