EN

Synonyms for preclude

24 synonyms
3 antonyms
2 meanings

verb

Most common

prevent hinder obviate inhibit rule out close out

Synonyms by meaning

Verb

1. Prevent

prevent, hinder, obviate, inhibit, prohibit, forbid, exclude, anticipate, impede, debar, foreclose, forestall, stop, thwart, frustrate, avert, bar, estop, obstruct, restrain, interdict

2. Rule out

rule out, close out, shut out

Antonyms

impel, abet, necessitate

All antonyms of preclude →

Definitions

v. 1
To remove the possibility of; to rule out; to prevent or exclude; to render impossible.
It has been raining for days, but that doesn’t preclude the skies clearing by this afternoon!

Forms

Past participle: precluded
e.g. precluded → prevented, hindered, obviated, inhibited…

Example sentences

prevent Eating healthfully can help prevent heart disease.
hinder If you cannot help us, don't at least hinder us.
inhibit He noticed that this drug seemed to inhibit bacterial growth.

Popularity over time

Word	1850 → 2019	Trend
preclude		falling
prevent		steady
hinder		steady
inhibit		steady
obviate		falling

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

3 letters: bar¹
4 letters: stop¹
5 letters: avert², debar, estop
6 letters: forbid², hinder², impede², thwart¹
7 letters: prevent², exclude², inhibit³, obviate³
8 letters: prohibit³, restrain², obstruct²
9 letters: frustrate², forestall², foreclose², interdict³
10 letters: anticipate⁴

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (avert² = 2 syllables).