prevent
verb (used with object)
to keep from occurring; avert; hinder.
were preventing
-
past progressiveof prevent.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
The Bolivian Highway Administration warned that roadblocks on routes leading into La Paz were preventing food supplies from entering the capital.
From Barron's ● May 15, 2026
Residents in Ashrafiyah Sahnaya and other Druze-majority areas near the capital reported that authorities were preventing motorists from going in and out of the area.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 30, 2025
Mr Cotton said a lot of the difficulty in clearing the waste in the streets had been caused by staff on picket lines who, he said, were preventing vehicles from getting out of depot.
From BBC ● Mar. 31, 2025
Valencia Mayor María José Catalá said that both the danger of the 14-story building collapsing and the continuing intense heat from the fire were preventing emergency workers from getting in to search for possible survivors.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 23, 2024
They seemed to be, yes, they were, preventing the new queen inside from coming out.
From Insect Stories by Vernon L. (Vernon Lyman) Kellogg
