stave off
verb
staved off; staving off; staves off
1
: to fend off
staving off creditors
2
: to ward off (something adverse) : forestall
trying to stave off disaster
Examples of stave off in a Sentence
managed to stave off the invaders
the quartermaster staved off a shortage by requisitioning more than enough supplies
Recent Examples on the Web
Restoring whitebark pine forests will also help keep snow on the landscape longer and stave off drought and wildfires.
—
Ellis Juhlin, NPR, 18 May 2026
Cat Petteys hit two home runs and Jessica Walter pitched a one-hitter as the UConn softball team staved off elimination with a 5-1 victory over McNeese in the NCAA Tournament Regional at College Station, Texas.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 17 May 2026
Her willingness to stave off the drink doesn’t last long.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 17 May 2026
His last adventure involved him staving off a multiversal crisis by making everyone in the world forget him, including his best friends MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon).
—Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for stave off
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Ellis Juhlin, NPR, 18 May 2026
Cat Petteys hit two home runs and Jessica Walter pitched a one-hitter as the UConn softball team staved off elimination with a 5-1 victory over McNeese in the NCAA Tournament Regional at College Station, Texas.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 17 May 2026
Her willingness to stave off the drink doesn’t last long.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 17 May 2026
His last adventure involved him staving off a multiversal crisis by making everyone in the world forget him, including his best friends MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon).
—Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for stave off
Cite this Entry
“Stave off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stave%20off. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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