intervened

Verb

intervene (third-person singular simple present intervenes, present participle intervening, simple past and past participle intervened)

1. (intransitive) To become involved in a situation, so as to alter or prevent an action.
   • The police had to be called to intervene in the fight.

   Synonyms:

   interfere, step in

2. (intransitive) To occur, fall, or come between, points of time, or events.
   • An instant intervened between the flash and the report.

   Synonyms:

   elapse

3. (intransitive) To occur or act as an obstacle or delay.
   • Nothing intervened to prevent the undertaking.
4. (ambitransitive) To say (something) in the middle of a conversation or discussion between other people, or to respond to a situation involving other people.
   • Young Scarfe stared, astounded. “You haven’t met before,” Mrs. Gould intervened. “Mr. Decoud—Mr. Scarfe.”1904, Joseph Conrad, Nostromo, Part 2, Chapter 4

   Synonyms:

   interrupt

5. (ambitransitive) To come between, or to be between, persons or things.
   • The Mediterranean intervenes between Europe and Africa.
6. In a suit to which one has not been made a party, to put forward a defense of one's interest in the subject matter.
   • an application for leave (i.e. permission) to intervene