1
as in turning back
to drive back
managed to stave off the invaders
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in preventing
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 staving off
Gibney illustrates that state of waiting, of staving off what at that time appears to be the inevitable, with the famous sequence from Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal, in which Max von Sydow’s medieval knight plays chess with Death on a desolate beach.
—
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 25 Jan. 2026
Snead and McVay renewed the contract terms with Stafford in late February, staving off would-be suitors in the Giants, Raiders and Steelers, and tweaked the roster some by adding run-stopping defensive tackle Poona Ford and All-Pro receiver Davante Adams.
—Jourdan Rodrigue, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2026
Harvard gutted out the disadvantages, though, staving off wave after wave of Boston University pressure to eventually force overtime.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 21 Jan. 2026
The original language of the Clean Water Act – which is widely credited with staving off and, in some cases, reversing water pollution for more than a half-century – explicitly mentions environmental and human health, yet says nothing about economic prosperity.
—Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 18 Jan. 2026
Your book is full of practical strategies for staving off digital exhaustion.
—Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Rather than reaching for the same basic jeans over and over again, celebrities have been staving off sartorial-boredom with outfit-making pants.
—Kaelin Dodge, InStyle, 12 Jan. 2026
But when cold weather rushes in, a good eye mask becomes essential for staving off dark circles, dry skin, and the puffiness that follows a late night of caviar, blinis, and martinis (‘tis the season to indulge, after all).
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2025
The two must figure out how to cultivate their blossoming relationship while staving off the suspicions of a jealous colleague.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2025
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 25 Jan. 2026
Snead and McVay renewed the contract terms with Stafford in late February, staving off would-be suitors in the Giants, Raiders and Steelers, and tweaked the roster some by adding run-stopping defensive tackle Poona Ford and All-Pro receiver Davante Adams.
—Jourdan Rodrigue, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2026
Harvard gutted out the disadvantages, though, staving off wave after wave of Boston University pressure to eventually force overtime.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 21 Jan. 2026
The original language of the Clean Water Act – which is widely credited with staving off and, in some cases, reversing water pollution for more than a half-century – explicitly mentions environmental and human health, yet says nothing about economic prosperity.
—Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 18 Jan. 2026
Your book is full of practical strategies for staving off digital exhaustion.
—Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Rather than reaching for the same basic jeans over and over again, celebrities have been staving off sartorial-boredom with outfit-making pants.
—Kaelin Dodge, InStyle, 12 Jan. 2026
But when cold weather rushes in, a good eye mask becomes essential for staving off dark circles, dry skin, and the puffiness that follows a late night of caviar, blinis, and martinis (‘tis the season to indulge, after all).
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2025
The two must figure out how to cultivate their blossoming relationship while staving off the suspicions of a jealous colleague.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for staving off
Verb
-
Morris shook Crockett’s hand before turning back down the sidewalk.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
3 Feb. 2026
-
As the heist approaches, the line between hunter and hunted begins to blur, and all three are faced with life-defining choices–and the realization that there can be no turning back.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Fiber slows digestion, preventing sharp glucose spikes while delivering antioxidants that protect brain cells.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Coronary heart disease occurs when fatty deposits called plaque build up in the heart’s arteries, preventing them from delivering oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle.—
Barbara Mantel,
NBC news,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The individual, their face covered in a ski mask, appears to fiddle with the camera with a gloved hand before turning away to look for something to obscure the lens.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
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But these restrictions aren’t new, and even experts intimately familiar with GRFP don’t understand why NSF is currently turning away students.—
Jonathan Wosen,
STAT,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The comments were part of a surge in diplomacy aimed at averting conflict; Qatar’s prime minister visited Tehran, while a senior Iranian official traveled to Moscow.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The agreement is intended to give lawmakers more time to address Democratic demands to curb ICE tactics while averting a partial government shutdown.—
Ana Ceballos,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Both types of down do a good job keeping you warm and repelling the elements.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Jan. 2026
-
Ways To Prevent Mice Scents are good at repelling mice in the yard and around the house.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
28 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Cochran left home for Charlotte in 2008 to study at Johnson & Wales, earning double degrees in Culinary Arts and Food Service Management before heading off to New York in search of great things.—
Heidi Finley,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Feb. 2026
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Same with traffic heading off to the left of the turnpike to get to the plaza bathrooms and fast-food windows.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Pearce later crashed his vehicle and was accused of resisting arrest.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Franco and Proni kept the circulation intuitive, resisting any intervention that might interrupt the architecture’s original flow.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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While there are dismemberments and other bits of gruesome violence to be found in the film, Badlands is largely aimed at endearing its audience rather than repulsing them.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Staving off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/staving%20off. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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