Is there a verb meaning "to make likely or probable" or "to make unlikely or improbable"?
I'm more in need of the latter, but I assume that if the former exists, the latter might too.
Edit: I'm looking for something that is a less-absolute form of prevent. Example:
The old jacket at least prevented me from catching a cold.
is too absolute. So, instead I'm trying to use a word meaning "to make unlikely or improbable".
The old jacket at least [———]ed me from catching a cold.
Best Answer
Near-synonyms of preclude, "remove the possibility of; rule out; prevent or exclude; to make impossible" include forestall, hinder, obviate. Hinder, "to make difficult to accomplish; to frustrate, act as obstacle ... to keep back; to delay or impede" in particular might serve your purpose, as might some of its synonyms, "delay, frustrate, hamper, impede, obstruct, prevent, thwart", except that tone of "The old jacket hindered me from catching a cold" is rather odd, as if you wanted to catch a cold. But "The old jacket at least forestalled my catching a cold" may be ok. Incidentally, catching a cold has nothing to do with thermal effects, and is entirely due to exposure to people with colds.