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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
His being here—scraping, sanding, painting, sitting across the table from us for dinner most nights—had been one of the joys of the past few weeks, a way of staving off the tension of moving and the sameness of the routine with the kids and the meals and the bedtime stories and all the rest.
—
T. Coraghessan Boyle, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2025
Then the Fed stepped in with a bold half-point rate cut to stave off further weakening.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2025
Troy picked off Lind three times in the second quarter to help stave off any momentum the Knights were starting to build.
—David Delgado, Oc Register, 13 Sep. 2025
The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point is relocating its Wausau campus to the local technical college in an attempt to stave off closure.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, jsonline.com, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stave off
T. Coraghessan Boyle, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2025
Then the Fed stepped in with a bold half-point rate cut to stave off further weakening.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2025
Troy picked off Lind three times in the second quarter to help stave off any momentum the Knights were starting to build.
—David Delgado, Oc Register, 13 Sep. 2025
The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point is relocating its Wausau campus to the local technical college in an attempt to stave off closure.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, jsonline.com, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stave off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stave off
Verb
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This creates a protective barrier that repels fingerprints and gives your appliances a sparkling finish.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 Sep. 2025
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And can painting cows with zebra stripes help repel biting flies?—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The trees’ mass can prevent them from getting blown over by high winds.—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
20 Sep. 2025
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The only question that remains regarding Kershaw’s Hall of Fame candidacy is which member of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) will be protected by anonymity and prevent him from being a unanimous selection in his first year of eligibility on the 2031 ballot.—
Wayne G. McDonnell,
Forbes.com,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Cook, who remains at the Federal Reserve, has sued the president to resist her dismissal.—
Chris Prentice,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
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Other times, long rates resist or even rise, flattening the curve and blunting the Fed’s impact.—
Robert Daugherty,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The universal vaccine recommendation that was in place in this scenario was projected to reduce hospitalizations by 11% and deaths by 13% – essentially averting 104,000 hospitalizations and 9,000 deaths.—
Deidre McPhillips,
CNN Money,
18 Sep. 2025
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The vitamin C in the formula is delivered to the skin over the course of 12 hours, averting the risk of irritation from a sudden surge of actives, as antioxidants like niacinamide and pro-glutathione reinforce the skin barrier.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Later in the season, as more northern waters cool off and the main hurricane development region stays toasty, the instability dial could be turned back up.—
Alex Harris,
Miami Herald,
11 Sep. 2025
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Clayton Kershaw has turned back the clock.—
The Athletic MLB Staff,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Decked out in a custom 3D wheelchair, Cola, now aged 4, left the shelter and headed off into the sunset and a life in a new forever home.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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Then, when the Patriots bulked up and played base personnel (four defensive backs), Smith threw it over their heads off play-action.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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According to a study from 2017, a third of the nation’s flagships—all highly ranked and thus popular with out-of-staters—turned away some of their own state’s residents to make room for higher-paying students from elsewhere.—
Jeffrey Selingo,
New Yorker,
19 Sep. 2025
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Don't run and don't turn away from the bear.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Like Einstein, Brassard feels repulsed by the way the particles in the Bell experiment seem to have firsthand awareness of each other despite being separated by, in principle, light-years of space.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
8 Aug. 2025
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This is something that finally repulses Ivor, and that Orla also grapples with.—
Deborah Treisman,
New Yorker,
27 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stave off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stave%20off. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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