forestall

To prevent, delay or hinder something by taking precautionary or anticipatory measures; to avert.transitive

• Fred forestalled disaster by his prompt action.

To preclude or bar from happening, render impossible.transitive

• In French, an aspired h forestalls elision.

To purchase the complete supply of a good, particularly foodstuffs, in order to charge a monopoly price.archaic

To anticipate, to act foreseeingly.

• What need a man forestall his date of grief, / And run to meet what he would most avoid?

To deprive (with of).

• All the better; may / This night forestall him of the coming day!

To obstruct or stop up, as a road; to stop the passage of a highway; to intercept on the road, as goods on the way to market.UK

An ambush; plot; an interception; waylaying; rescue.historicalobsolete

Something situated or placed in front.