barring

American  

[bahr-ing] / ˈbɑr ɪŋ /

preposition

1. excepting; except for.

   Barring accidents, I'll be there.

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barring British  

/ ˈbɑːrɪŋ /

preposition

1. unless (something) occurs; except for

   barring rain, the match will be held tomorrow

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Etymology

Origin of barring

First recorded in 1475–85; bar ¹ + -ing ²

Example Sentences

The CTAs have sold so much there’s not much left to sell — they’re short $18.4 billion worth of U.S. equities — barring a major shock.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026

Transit passage rights through straits remain applicable during armed conflicts and suspending commercial navigation through Hormuz "cannot be lawful" barring exceptional circumstances, he added.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

That led to the Department of Defense designating Anthropic as a supply chain risk and barring the use of its tools at the Pentagon, following a six-month phase-out.

From Salon • Mar. 23, 2026

That indicated the Ares fund shouldn’t have existed anymore, barring further explanation, which the disclosure report didn’t provide.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

Many participles have turned into prepositions, such as according, allowing, barring, concerning, considering, excepting, excluding, failing, following, given, granted, including, owing, regarding, and respecting, and they don’t need subjects at all.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker