intervene
verb
in·ter·vene
| \ ˌin-tər-ˈvēn
\
\
intervened;
intervening
Definition of intervene
1
: to occur, fall, or come between points of time or events
only six months intervened between their marriage and divorce
2
: to enter or appear as an irrelevant or extraneous feature or circumstance
it's business as usual until a crisis intervenes
3a
: to come in or between by way of hindrance or modification
intervene to stop a fight
b
: to interfere with the outcome or course especially of a condition or process (as to prevent harm or improve functioning)
4
: to occur or lie between two things
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Synonyms for intervene
Synonyms
intercede, intermediate, interpose, mediate
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Examples of intervene in a Sentence
Twenty years intervened between their first and last meetings.
The prisoner asked me to intervene with the authorities on his behalf.
The military had to intervene to restore order.
We will leave on time unless some crisis intervenes.
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Recent Examples on the Web
What Happens Next: So far, China has been reluctant to take the provocative act of intervening directly by sending in its military, preferring to let Hong Kong police take the lead in suppressing the protests. — Ian Bremmer, Time, "What Happens Next in the Hong Kong Protests," 16 Aug. 2019 The city of Atlanta and Arlington County in Virginia on Monday requested to join the existing group of intervening jurisdictions. — Washington Post, "The census citizenship question failed. But Alabama is seeking to exclude undocumented immigrants in apportioning congressional seats.," 15 Aug. 2019 Protesters have threatened to throw her out because of political baggage, which includes accusations of improperly intervening in a case against her daughter and failing to investigate the rise of violence against women. — Catherine Kim, Vox, "Vox Sentences: 3 governors in 5 days," 9 Aug. 2019 She was suspended from office last year after being accused of intervening in a case involving her daughter. — Alejandra Rosa, New York Times, "Puerto Rico Supreme Court Ousts New Governor and Another Is Sworn In," 7 Aug. 2019 Last year, Vazquez came under fire for allegedly intervening on behalf of her daughter in a case stemming from a home theft. — Eric Levenson, CNN, "Likely successor of Puerto Rico's disgraced governor in crosshairs of wary protesters," 25 July 2019 Subway passengers filmed by Stand News and iCABLE angrily accused police officers of not intervening in the attack. — NBC News, "Police launch tear gas, masked assailants attack protesters as Hong Kong march turns violent," 21 July 2019 The Justice Department disclosed the probe Monday by intervening in a court case involving numerous chicken processors, distributors and sellers. — Nathan Bomey, USA TODAY, "Prosecutors investigate alleged chicken price fixing: grand jury probe disclosed," 26 June 2019 Russia, which opposes NATO’s expansion in the Balkans, has accused the U.S. and the EU of intervening in North Macedonia’s domestic affairs by helping Zaev reach the name deal with Greece. — Slav Okov, Bloomberg.com, "Balkan Government Under Pressure as EU Progress Faces Skepticism," 6 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'intervene.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for intervene
intervene
verb
English Language Learners Definition of intervene
: to come or occur between two times or events
: to become involved in something (such as a conflict) in order to have an influence on what happens
: to happen as an unrelated event that causes a delay or problem
See the full definition for intervene in the English Language Learners Dictionary
intervene
verb
in·ter·vene
| \ ˌin-tər-ˈvēn
\
\
intervened;
intervening
Kids Definition of intervene
1
: to come or occur between events, places, or points of time
One week intervened between games.
2
: to interfere with something so as to stop, settle, or change
I intervened in their quarrel.
intervene
intransitive verb
in·ter·vene
| \ ˌin-tər-ˈvēn
\
\
intervened;
intervening
Legal Definition of intervene
1
: to occur, fall, or come between points of time or events
may be held liable even though other independent agencies intervene between his negligence and the ultimate result — Hooks Superx, Inc. v. McLaughlin, 642 N.E.2d 514 (1994)
2a
: to come in or between by way of hindrance or modification
intervene to stop a fight
b
: to become a party to a legal proceeding begun by others in order to protect an alleged interest in the subject matter of the proceeding