1 to excuse sb

2 to exempt

3 to remove or dismiss from office

4 to avoid

5 to avert

6 to escape

7 to be prohibited

1 free (of charge)

1 to avert

2 to prevent

3 to avoid

4 to refrain from

1 to prevent

2 to guard against

3 to take precautions

1 to prevent

2 to take precautions against

3 to protect

4 to guard against

5 precautionary

6 prophylactic

1 to remove sth that could be used as a pretext (idiom)

1 to guard against the unexpected (idiom); just in case

2 prepared for any eventualities

1 frugality in order to prevent destitution (idiom)

1 to be unavoidable (idiom)

1 lit. easy to dodge the spear in the open, hard to avoid a stab in the dark (idiom); it is hard to guard against secret conspiracies