forestall
to prevent or block before something happens
Roots
- fore-: before or ahead
- stel / stall: stand, place, or fixed position
Other words with the fore- root
- foresee: to see or know before something happens
- foreseeable: able to be seen or expected before it happens
Other words with the stel / stall root
- stall: to stop or a fixed standing place
Fore- gives before and stall keeps the stand/place image. To forestall is to stand in front of a problem before it arrives.
A short review can forestall the panic of seeing a familiar word feel new again.