forestalling

fore·stall  (fôr-stôl, fr-)

tr.v. fore·stalled, fore·stall·ing, fore·stalls

1. To delay, hinder, or prevent by taking precautionary measures beforehand. See Synonyms at prevent.

2. To deal with or think of beforehand; anticipate.

3. To prevent or hinder normal sales in (a market) by buying up merchandise, discouraging persons from bringing their goods to market, or encouraging an increase in prices in goods already on sale.

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[Middle English forestallen, to waylay and rob, from forestal, highway robbery, ambush, from Old English foresteall : fore-, fore- + steall, position; see stel- in Indo-European roots.]

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fore·staller n.

fore·stallment n.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

forestalling - the act of preventing something by anticipating and disposing of it effectively obviation, preclusion prevention, bar - the act of preventing; "there was no bar against leaving"; "money was allocated to study the cause and prevention of influenza"