1
2
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
Regular use can also improve overall hair health because the bonding technology works to stave off further damage.
—
Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 23 Mar. 2026
While other local stores struggled, Outpost weathered the COVID-19 pandemic with support from its members and staved off staff cuts, according to Margaret Mittelstadt, director of community relations and Outpost staff member since 2004.
—Francesca Pica, jsonline.com, 23 Mar. 2026
Borek credited Muszelik with perhaps an even tougher challenge of having to stave off sporadic waves, versus the consistent pressure Lundgren faced.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 22 Mar. 2026
Under a mid-morning sun, huddled beneath tents and silver tarps, doctors and nurses handed patients at a homeless outreach clinic water bottles, hats, sunglasses and cooling towels to drape around their necks — all to stave off the worst effects of a premature triple-digit heat wave.
—Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stave off
Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 23 Mar. 2026
While other local stores struggled, Outpost weathered the COVID-19 pandemic with support from its members and staved off staff cuts, according to Margaret Mittelstadt, director of community relations and Outpost staff member since 2004.
—Francesca Pica, jsonline.com, 23 Mar. 2026
Borek credited Muszelik with perhaps an even tougher challenge of having to stave off sporadic waves, versus the consistent pressure Lundgren faced.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 22 Mar. 2026
Under a mid-morning sun, huddled beneath tents and silver tarps, doctors and nurses handed patients at a homeless outreach clinic water bottles, hats, sunglasses and cooling towels to drape around their necks — all to stave off the worst effects of a premature triple-digit heat wave.
—Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stave off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stave off
Verb
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In drills, Taiwan has rehearsed repelling a seaborne assault with drones, fast patrol craft, mobile Hsiung Feng anti-ship missiles and Marine Corps teams.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
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The housekeeping team fogs the balés every week to keep most of the biting insects at bay, and gardens teeming with mosquito-repelling lemongrass and zodia plants help keep them at a distance.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Having legal documents on hand, at a lawyer’s office or in a file cabinet not only provides peace of mind, but can prevent conflict and legal fees when tragedy or challenges arise.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
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The president has repeatedly said preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon was the war's top objective.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Supporters describe him as a fighter but Harris resists the label of politician.—
Brian Unger,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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Lori’s speech articulates the fundamental twinship of artists and critics—a reality that has always resisted attempts to drive a wedge between the two.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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After amassing 105 points, the sixth-best point total in the NHL last year that tied a single-season franchise record, the Kings are seeking to avert a similar fall from grace.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
3 Apr. 2026
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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
Verb
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The aircraft, carrying a flight instructor and student pilot, had climbed to roughly 1,700 feet before turning back toward the airport.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
1 Apr. 2026
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An American journalist who was kidnapped in Baghdad had tried to cross from Syria into Iraq three weeks earlier and was initially turned back, an Iraqi official said Wednesday.—
Qassim Abdul-Zahra,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Berterame had redirected the ball toward Suarez with his head off a Silvetti corner kick.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
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Get a head start on heading off mosquitoes.—
Nan Sterman,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Because being with their own thoughts, emotions and bodily sensations can be so difficult, people often turn away from them.—
J. David Creswell,
The Conversation,
31 Mar. 2026
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Still, Brooks’s turn away from politics and toward a more therapeutic project has not been wholly unhelpful.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In the mid-19th century, Kasanje was able to repulse a Portuguese military expedition.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
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Sigmund Freud believed that every crush has a strand of disgust, that people are attracted to what repulses them.—
Daniel Felsenthal,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stave off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stave%20off. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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