averting
Steering clear of
Averting is the act of turning away or preventing something.
You avert your eyes or gaze by looking elsewhere, typically to avoid seeing something uncomfortable.
To avert disaster, crisis, or danger is to prevent it from happening: Quick action averted a catastrophe.
The word carries a sense of active deflection—steering away from what threatens.
Stopping before occurrence
- forestallingPreventing by prior action
- precludingMaking impossible beforehand
- stoppingCeasing to continue
- haltingMarked by hesitation
thwarting · blocking · deterring · foiling · intercepting · counteracting · staving · warding
Deliberately staying clear
- evadingSkillfully keeping away from
- dodgingAvoiding by moving aside
- sidesteppingMoving aside to avoid
- circumventingAvoiding by going around
bypassing · eluding · shunning · escaping · ducking · eschewing · distancing · disengaging
Agreeably attention-stealing
- redirectingSending elsewhere
- parryingDeflecting an attack
- deflectingTurning from original path
- fending offDeflecting approaching threats
repelling · shielding · warding off · blocking · rebuffing · batting away · pushing away · turning away
Directing eyes elsewhere
- glancing awayRedirecting one's gaze elsewhere
- lowering eyesDirecting sight downward
- looking downDirecting sight lower
preventing
Stopping before occurrence
- forestallingPreventing by prior action
- precludingMaking impossible beforehand
- stoppingCeasing to continue
halting · thwarting · blocking · deterring · foiling · intercepting · counteracting · staving · warding · heading off
avoiding
Deliberately staying clear
- evadingSkillfully keeping away from
- dodgingAvoiding by moving aside
- sidesteppingMoving aside to avoid
circumventing · bypassing · eluding · shunning · escaping · ducking · eschewing · distancing · disengaging · withdrawing
diverting
Agreeably attention-stealing
- redirectingSending elsewhere
- parryingDeflecting an attack
- deflectingTurning from original path
fending off · repelling · shielding · warding off · blocking · rebuffing · batting away · pushing away · turning away
looking away
Directing eyes elsewhere
- glancing awayRedirecting one's gaze elsewhere
- lowering eyesDirecting sight downward
- looking downDirecting sight lower
avertingcausing
Making occur
bringing about · precipitating · triggering · inducing · creating
avertingfacing
Directed toward something
confronting · meeting · engaging · inviting · courting
avertingallowing
Granting permission to proceed
permitting · enabling · facilitating · inviting · courting
- averting eyesDirecting sight elsewhere intentionally
- averting gazeRedirecting one's look
avert, aversion, averse, averted, averts, aversive, avertable