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
Mr. Plausaby proceeded to state that he thought Albert ought to pre-empt.
From The Mystery of Metropolisville by Eggleston, Edward
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.
