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as in to prevent
to keep from happening by taking action in advance
the quartermaster staved off a shortage by requisitioning more than enough supplies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stave off
While the frenzied, anxious energy of history in the making permeates the air, two young boys attempt to stave off boredom.
—
Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 20 May 2025
The Knicks were able to stave off elimination and elongate the series.
—Ryan Stano, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 May 2025
The debt limit was last suspended by Congress as part of a bipartisan bill struck between former President Biden and GOP leadership in 2023, staving off the threat of national default through early 2025.
—Aris Folley, The Hill, 30 May 2025
The upgrade comes after Elliott and Southwest Airlines struck a deal in October to keep chief executive Bob Jordan and add six directors to the airline’s board, staving off a proxy fight.
—Sean Conlon, CNBC, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for stave off
Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 20 May 2025
The Knicks were able to stave off elimination and elongate the series.
—Ryan Stano, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 May 2025
The debt limit was last suspended by Congress as part of a bipartisan bill struck between former President Biden and GOP leadership in 2023, staving off the threat of national default through early 2025.
—Aris Folley, The Hill, 30 May 2025
The upgrade comes after Elliott and Southwest Airlines struck a deal in October to keep chief executive Bob Jordan and add six directors to the airline’s board, staving off a proxy fight.
—Sean Conlon, CNBC, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for stave off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stave off
Verb
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Some companion plants are either trap plants, which will distract the bugs, or plants that will repel them with their scent.—
Heather Bien,
Southern Living,
4 June 2025
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Strikes were also repelled in the Amur region in Russia's Far East and in the western regions of Ivanovo and Ryazan, the ministry said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 June 2025
Verb
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President Trump on Wednesday signed a travel ban on 12 countries, primarily in Africa and the Middle East, resurrecting an effort from his first term to prevent large numbers of immigrants and visitors from entering the United States.—
Hamed Aleaziz,
New York Times,
5 June 2025
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Iran's arch-foe Israel, which sees Tehran's nuclear programme as an existential threat, has repeatedly threatened to bomb the Islamic Republic's nuclear facilities to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.—
Parisa Hafezi,
USA Today,
5 June 2025
Verb
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This is especially true for decentralized finance (DeFi), which, by its nature, resists traditional regulatory models.—
Irina Heaver,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
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Serkis, of course, can’t resist playing a couple of parts himself and takes on the affable Rooster and Farmer Jones.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
9 June 2025
Verb
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Treasury’s semi-annual report to Congress — called Macroeconomic and Foreign Exchange Policies of Major Trading Partners of the United States— comes as the Trump administration seeks to strike a trade deal with China, averting a trade war that has been brewing between the two nations.—
Fatima Hussein,
Fortune,
6 June 2025
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Not until Republicans are ready and willing to make serious changes to entitlements, starting with structural reform of Medicaid and adding Medicare and Social Security to the mix, can a fiscal crisis be averted.—
The Editors,
National Review,
5 June 2025
Verb
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In a comedic twist, the Labrador retriever was filmed turning back to his owner during the drive, with a smug look on his face as if to boast about his comfortable spot.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 June 2025
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So to have a bit of a spotlight turned back on you, at this stage, is incredibly gratifying.—
Scott Feinberg,
HollywoodReporter,
10 June 2025
Verb
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On Friday, May 30, the Ghostbusters actress, 54, shared a rare glimpse of her firstborn daughter, 18-year-old Vivian Falcone, as the high schooler headed off to the rite of passage event.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
31 May 2025
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One minor example: In the game, a broken and vengeful Tommy heads off to Seattle first, which gives Ellie a bit more of a permission structure to run off from Jackson; in the show, Ellie is the spearhead, and her recklessness is unquestionably apparent.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
26 May 2025
Verb
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The Panthers survived an Aleksander Barkov delay of game penalty and McDavid slaloming through tired penalty killers only to be turned away by Bobrovsky’s stomach snow angel.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
13 June 2025
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Thurman said she was turned away twice from a local emergency room, without treatment.—
Nadine El-Bawab,
ABC News,
6 June 2025
Verb
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Other responses ranged from snacking on construction materials to being physically repulsed by a customer's name at work.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 June 2025
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But throughout the series, he became increasingly repulsed by these actions, which included enslaving thousands of women.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
27 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stave off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stave%20off. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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