- a variation of preempt.
pre-empt
Britishverb
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(tr) to acquire in advance of or to the exclusion of others; appropriate
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(tr) to occupy (public land) in order to acquire a prior right to purchase
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(intr) bridge to make a high opening bid, often on a weak hand, to shut out opposition bidding
Other Word Forms
Vocabulary lists containing pre-empt
2014 Vocabulary Video Contest (M-Z)
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Vocabulary Video Contest (2013) - List 3
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Vocab Video Contest (2016) - List 5
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Dozens of places across Hungary have imposed restrictions on water use to pre-empt service outages.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
So rather than get upset every time that happens, it’s better to pre-empt the accidents with as much detailed preparation as possible.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 22, 2026
Lisa Nandy said she would not pre-empt Starmer's announcement but said it was "how, not whether, we better protect children online".
From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026
Don’t allow a phony crisis to pre-empt a real solution in the end.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
Women pre-empt land; women register ships; women obtain passports; women pay the penalty of their own crimes; women pay taxes, sometimes work out the road tax.
From History of Woman Suffrage, Volume II by Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
