How many letters does the top answer for “the act of preventing something by anticipating and disposing of it effectively” have?

The most common answer is forestalling (12 letters).

Crossword clue: the act of preventing something by anticipating and disposing of it effectively

forestalling, obviation, preclusion.

3 answers found in Letterora's clue database (Wikidata facts, Open Trivia DB, WordNet and Webster definitions — all licensed sources).

forestalling 12 letters wn-def

the act of preventing something by anticipating and disposing of it effectively

obviation 9 letters wn-def

the act of preventing something by anticipating and disposing of it effectively

preclusion 10 letters wn-def

the act of preventing something by anticipating and disposing of it effectively