X [verb here] Y meaning: Doing X is sufficient and so Y is not needed.
Does listening make speaking unnecessary?
Does listening [verb here] speaking?
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1Such a verb would be obviate (one of whose meanings is 'to render unnecessary') but it is not a better choice, in your examples, for "make...unnecessary". – Tᴚoɯɐuo Feb 12 '17 at 11:32
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books.google.com/… – Tᴚoɯɐuo Feb 12 '17 at 11:40
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1@Rose When "make" is used in that pattern (please see this other thread I took part in recently: ell.stackexchange.com/questions/102932/make-it-clear-what/…), "render" seems to me to be a better word. – Gustavson Feb 12 '17 at 18:51
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I would suggest invalidate or its synonyms:
- nullify
- negate
- make ineffective
- neutralize
- cancel
- undo
- annul
- void
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1Depending on your context, "Does listening make speaking unnecessary?" is actually a pretty good sentence. It could be the better choice in something like: "Does listening make speaking unnecessary? No, but a good listener is usually sparse with his words." – Rich Feb 12 '17 at 12:14
