stave off

stave off

transitive verb

Definition of STAVE OFF

1

: to fend off <staving off creditors>

2

: to ward off (as something adverse) : forestall <trying to stave off disaster>

Examples of STAVE OFF

1. <managed to stave off the invaders>
2. <the quartermaster staved off a shortage by requisitioning more than enough supplies>

First Known Use of STAVE OFF

1611

Related to STAVE OFF

Synonyms

beat off, fend (off), rebut, repulse, repel, turn away, turn back

Related Words

defy, fight, hold off, oppose, resist, stand off, withstand; deflect, ward (off); rebuff, snub, spurn

Near Antonyms

embrace, hail, welcome

Rhymes with STAVE OFF

back off, beg off, bind off, blastoff, blow off, break off, bring off, brush-off, bug off, bump off, burn off, buy off, call off, cast-off, castoff, change off, charge off, checkoff, check off, Chekhov, choke off, come off, cook-off, cry off, cutoff, cut off, die-off, die off, draw off, drop-off, drop off, dust off, face-off, face off, falloff, far-off, fire off, first off, flip off, fob off, get off, give off, go off, goof-off, handoff, hand off, hands-off, haul off, head off, hold off, jump-off, kickoff, kick off, kill off, kiss-off, kiss off, knockoff, knock off, Khrushchev, laugh off, layoff, lay off, leadoff, leave off, lie off, liftoff, make off, nod off, one-off, palm off, pass off, Pavlov, pawn off, payoff, pay off, peel off, pick off, pickoff, play-off, pop off, pull off, push off, put off, rake-off, reel off, rip-off, rip off, roll-off, rub off, runoff, Sarnoff, sawed-off, seal off, sell off, sell-off, send-off, setoff, set off, show-off, show off, shrug off, shutoff, shut off, sign off, sign-off, sound off, spin-off, spin off, square off, squeeze off, standoff, stand off, straight off, strike off, swear off, takeoff, take off, Tambov, tap-off, teed off, tee off, tell off, throw off, tick off, tip-off, touch off, trade-off, turnoff, turn off, well-off, Wolof, work off, write-off, write off