pre-empt

UK/pɹiːˈɛmpt/

A form of preempt — To appropriate first.

Similar
preemptive bidpreempt
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Meanings

verbpre-empt (third-person singular simple present pre-empts, present participle pre-empting, simple past and past participle pre-empted)

present singular third person pre-empts · participle present pre-empting · participle past pre-empted · past pre-empted

  1. alternativeAlternative spelling of preempt.

    At the same time, NR Chief Executive Andrew Haines said: "I will not pre-empt the outcome of the investigation into this awful event, but it is clear the weather was appalling and there were floods and landslips in the area.

    2020 August 26, “Network News: Shapps orders rapid review of flash flood resilience from NR”, in Rail, page 8
nounpre-empt (plural pre-empts)

plural pre-empts

  1. alternativeAlternative spelling of preempt.

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna high bid that is intended to prevent the opposing players from bidding

Similar
preemptive bidpreempt
Broader
bidbidding
Also see
preempt

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with pre-empt

attemptexemptattemptedcontempttemptpreemptunkemptkemptill-kemptperemptwell-kempt
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

pre-empt. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pre-empt

MLA

“pre-empt.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pre-empt. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pre-empt,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pre-empt.

Source: pre-empt on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.