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
Derived 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.
Their capital budgets allow them to absorb, hedge or pre-empt energy-cost inflation in ways smaller companies cannot.
From MarketWatch • May 11, 2026
“I generally agree with the direction the White House is taking to pre-empt state laws on AI,” he said in an interview.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026
“Nobody was intending to pre-empt the New Jersey state gaming commission,” he says.
From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026
It's obvious that these other plans were being circulated in order to pre-empt his:
From Salon • Apr. 23, 2025
I'm going to pre-empt and build the cutest little bird's nest for you.
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.
