averts

Turns away from

Averts means turns away or prevents.

You avert your eyes or gaze to avoid looking at something: She averted her eyes from the gruesome scene.

More commonly, avert means to prevent something undesirable from happening: Quick action averted disaster.

The word implies actively steering away from danger or unpleasantness rather than merely avoiding it.

prevents

forestalls

Prevents by prior action

obviatesMakes unnecessary or avoidable
precludesMakes impossible in advance
thwartsFrustrates or blocks

prevents · stops · blocks · halts · intercepts · inhibits · deters · impedes · curtails · checks

evades

dodges

Evades with quick movement

sidestepsEvades by moving aside
evadesAvoids by cunning
eludesEscapes from skillfully

circumvents · bypasses · deflects · diverts · parries · escapes · shuns · eschews · rebuffs · repels

gaze

lowers

Decreases or brings down

dropsDescends or releases
shiftsMoves or work periods
downcastSad or despondent

Categories

evasionevasion, avoiding, avoids, evade, dodging
repelsrepels, wards off, keeps away, fends off, drives away

Opposites

prevention vs. causation

avertscauses

Brings into being

triggers · brings about · precipitates · induces · creates

deflection vs. attraction

Draws toward itself

draws · invites · courts · embraces · welcomes

turning away vs. facing/directing toward

avertsfaces

Front of heads

confronts · meets · looks at · eyes · beholds

Phrases

averted gazeDeliberately not looking
averting eyesDirecting sight elsewhere intentionally
averting gazeRedirecting one's look

Family

avert, averted, averting, averter

Familiarity: Top 100,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Everyday, not technical · Rated G