pre-empt

verb

• 1take action in order to prevent (an anticipated event) happening; forestall:the government pre-empted a coup attempt
• act in advance of (someone) in order to prevent them doing something:it looked as if she’d ask him more, but Parr pre-empted her

• 2acquire or appropriate (something) in advance:many tables were already pre-empted by family parties
• North American occupy (public land) so as to have a pre-emptive right to buy it before others.

• 3 [no object] Bridge make a pre-emptive bid.

noun

• a pre-emptive bid.