verb
foreclose
To rule out or prevent something in advance.
Accepting this offer does not foreclose the possibility of further negotiations.
Etymology
The French ancestor meant to exclude or shut out. The broader English sense retains that exclusion: an action can remove a possibility before it can be pursued.
More examples
- The new policy forecloses any chance of an extension.
- By signing the agreement, she foreclosed her right to appeal.
- They resist foreclosing any options before the study is complete.
Forms
foreclose · forecloses · foreclosed · foreclosing