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
Synonyms
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 prime minister is struggling to avert a landslide defeat to Labour, which has held a double-digit polling lead over the Conservatives for more than a year.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 4 June 2024
In others, records suggest, companies could have taken steps to avert the tragedies.
—Ames Alexander, Charlotte Observer, 14 May 2024
Battles raged between Israeli troops and Hamas militants around Rafah on Wednesday as global leaders clung to hopes that a truce could avert a full-scale invasion of the southern Gaza city, which is sheltering thousands of displaced Palestinians.
—John Bacon, USA TODAY, 8 May 2024
And if so, would eradicating Hamas somehow avert that prospect?
—Thomas Meaney, Harper's Magazine, 26 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for avert 
Mark Landler, New York Times, 4 June 2024
In others, records suggest, companies could have taken steps to avert the tragedies.
—Ames Alexander, Charlotte Observer, 14 May 2024
Battles raged between Israeli troops and Hamas militants around Rafah on Wednesday as global leaders clung to hopes that a truce could avert a full-scale invasion of the southern Gaza city, which is sheltering thousands of displaced Palestinians.
—John Bacon, USA TODAY, 8 May 2024
And if so, would eradicating Hamas somehow avert that prospect?
—Thomas Meaney, Harper's Magazine, 26 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for avert
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'avert.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near avert
Cite this Entry
“Avert.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/avert. Accessed 8 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
avert
verb1
: to turn away
avert one's eyes
2
: to keep from happening
averted an accident
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