Word: forestall (verb)

Associations

"Forestall" means to stop something from happening or to delay it by acting first. It often relates to preventing problems or difficulties before they start.

• The company tried to forestall a strike by negotiating with the workers early. Here, "forestall" means to prevent the strike.
• To forestall a crisis, the government introduced new rules. This means they acted before the crisis happened.
• He forestalled the argument by changing the subject. He stopped the argument before it began.

A similar word is "prevent," but "forestall" often suggests acting earlier or faster than others to stop something. "Prevent" is more general, while "forestall" highlights the idea of anticipation and quick action.

Substitution

You can replace "forestall" with:

• prevent (more general)
• preempt (means to act before someone else)
• hinder (means to slow down or make difficult)
• stop (stronger, means to completely end)

Each word changes the meaning slightly. For example, "preempt" focuses more on acting before others, while "hinder" means to make something harder but not always stop it.

Deconstruction

"Forestall" comes from two parts:

• "fore-" means "before"
• "stall" means "to stop or delay" So, "forestall" literally means "to stop before" something happens. This helps understand why it means to prevent or delay something by acting early.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when you forestalled a problem by acting early?
• How is forestalling different from just reacting after something happens?
• In what situations is it important to forestall problems? Why?