Verb

(en verb)

To turn aside or away.

To avert the eyes from an object.

To ward off, or prevent, the occurrence or effects of.

How can the danger be averted ?

* Milton

To avert his ire.

* Prior

Till ardent prayer averts the public woe.

(archaic) To turn away.

* Thomson

Cold and averting from our neighbour's good.

(archaic) To turn away.

* Francis Bacon

When atheists and profane persons do hear of so many discordant and contrary opinions in religion, it doth avert them from the church.

Verb

(stifl)

To interrupt or cut off.

To repress, keep in or hold back.

* Waterland

I desire only to have things fairly represented as they really are; no evidence smothered or stifled .

* , chapter=15

, title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=Edward Churchill still attended to his work in a hopeless mechanical manner like a sleep-walker who walks safely on a well-known round. But his Roman collar galled him, his cossack stifled him, his biretta was as uncomfortable as a merry-andrew's cap and bells.}}

* {{quote-news, year=2011, date=October 29, author=Neil Johnston, work=BBC Sport

, title= Norwich 3-3 Blackburn , passage=In fact, there was no suggestion of that, although Wolves deployed men behind the ball to stifle the league leaders in a first-half that proved very frustrating for City.}}

To smother or suffocate.

* (John Dryden)

Stifled with kisses, a sweet death he dies.

* (Jonathan Swift)

I took my leave, being half stifled with the closeness of the room.

To feel smothered etc.

To die of suffocation.

To treat a silkworm cocoon with steam as part of the process of silk production.