Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of verb forestall

2 senses of forestall

Sense 1
prevent, forestall, foreclose, preclude, forbid -- (keep from happening or arising; make impossible; "My sense of tact forbids an honest answer"; "Your role in the projects precludes your involvement in the competitive project")

Sense 2
anticipate, foresee, forestall, counter -- (act in advance of; deal with ahead of time)
       => act, move -- (perform an action, or work out or perform (an action); "think before you act"; "We must move quickly"; "The governor should act on the new energy bill"; "The nanny acted quickly by grabbing the toddler and covering him with a wet towel")