averted; averting; averts
1
: to turn away or aside (the eyes, one's gaze, etc.) in avoidance
I found the sight so grotesque that I had to avert my eyes …—
John Gregory Dunne
John Gregory Dunne2
: to see coming and ward off : avoid
avert disaster
Examples of avert in a Sentence
He sped up and averted an accident.
The diplomatic talks narrowly averted a war.
an attempt to avert a strike at the plant
Recent Examples on the Web
The enclave needs at least 500 to 600 trucks daily to avert a deepening humanitarian catastrophe, as civilians face a severe shortage of supplies like food and medicine, said UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees in Gaza.
—Jeremy Diamond, CNN Money, 26 May 2025
Matthew Barrett, president and CEO of the Connecticut Association of Health Care Facilities, the state’s largest nursing home coalition, praised Lamont and union leadership for averting a work stoppage.
—Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 23 May 2025
Over the course of Thursday’s six-hour meeting, the council:
Restored positions at the Department of Cultural Affairs, averting the closure of the historic Hollyhock House in East Hollywood, protecting its status as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
—David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2025
For now, Dan has allowed the country to avert a disaster.
—Veronica Anghel, Foreign Affairs, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for avert
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jeremy Diamond, CNN Money, 26 May 2025
Matthew Barrett, president and CEO of the Connecticut Association of Health Care Facilities, the state’s largest nursing home coalition, praised Lamont and union leadership for averting a work stoppage.
—Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 23 May 2025
Over the course of Thursday’s six-hour meeting, the council:
Restored positions at the Department of Cultural Affairs, averting the closure of the historic Hollyhock House in East Hollywood, protecting its status as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
—David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2025
For now, Dan has allowed the country to avert a disaster.
—Veronica Anghel, Foreign Affairs, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for avert
Cite this Entry
“Avert.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/avert. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
avert
verb1
: to turn away
avert one's eyes
2
: to keep from happening
averted an accident
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share