as in averted
to keep from happening by taking action in advance
if we act quickly, we may still be able to head off disaster
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Recent Examples of headed off
That’s how, last night, the best golfer most of us have ever seen slinked out of a Florida jail shortly before midnight and headed off into an uncertain future.
—
Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2026
That’s how, last night, the best golfer most of us have ever seen slinked out of a Florida jail shortly before midnight and headed off into an uncertain future.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2026
Slotkin said her legislation could have headed off that split.
—Kevin Collier, NBC news, 17 Mar. 2026
When Riley and the Grinch headed off to USC, Johnson decided to follow their lead and served as a graduate assistant from 2022 to 2023.
—Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2026
With Joe Ryan and Taj Bradley headed off to compete in the World Baseball Classic next month, the Twins should get an extended look at some of their rotation options.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 18 Feb. 2026
The trio and Peterson subsequently boarded a 1947 Beechcraft Model 35 Bonanza airplane and headed off into poor winter weather conditions late at night.
—Chris Barilla, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026
Some of us headed off to bed; for others, another movie beckoned.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2026
The Moment lands between a celebrity thriller, reality television, and a pop concert documentary that’s headed off the rails.
—Anna Gaca, Pitchfork, 30 Jan. 2026
Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2026
That’s how, last night, the best golfer most of us have ever seen slinked out of a Florida jail shortly before midnight and headed off into an uncertain future.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2026
Slotkin said her legislation could have headed off that split.
—Kevin Collier, NBC news, 17 Mar. 2026
When Riley and the Grinch headed off to USC, Johnson decided to follow their lead and served as a graduate assistant from 2022 to 2023.
—Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2026
With Joe Ryan and Taj Bradley headed off to compete in the World Baseball Classic next month, the Twins should get an extended look at some of their rotation options.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 18 Feb. 2026
The trio and Peterson subsequently boarded a 1947 Beechcraft Model 35 Bonanza airplane and headed off into poor winter weather conditions late at night.
—Chris Barilla, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026
Some of us headed off to bed; for others, another movie beckoned.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2026
The Moment lands between a celebrity thriller, reality television, and a pop concert documentary that’s headed off the rails.
—Anna Gaca, Pitchfork, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headed off
Verb
-
And if the lab finds the two samples to be a definite mismatch, an unthinkable error will have been averted at the last possible moment.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The school district, just west of Charlotte across the Catawba River, averted 100 layoffs last week and potentially 300 more by the end of the school year with an emergency $10 million from Gaston County commissioners.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
On Sunday, police prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa from entering the church, citing security concerns as Israel enforces a ban on gatherings in synagogues, churches and mosques during the ongoing war with Iran, which has brought missile strikes near holy sites.—
Lucia I Suarez Sang,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Without its approval, countries face default and can effectively be prevented from accessing long- and short-term trade credit — credit that facilitates the uninterrupted flow of goods across borders, and can be compared to a country’s life blood.—
Sven van Mourik,
The Dial,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Headed off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headed%20off. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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