stave off
verb
staved off; staving off; staves off
1
: to fend off
staving off creditors
2
: to ward off (something adverse) : forestall
trying to stave off disaster
Synonyms
Examples of stave off in a Sentence
managed to stave off the invaders
the quartermaster staved off a shortage by requisitioning more than enough supplies
Recent Examples on the Web
To stave off boredom, Richter recommends packing games— like a pair of dice or a deck of cards—to pass the time while traveling.
—
Simmone Shah, TIME, 23 May 2024
Highlighting reproductive rights and Republicans’ opposition to measures to protect them helped stave off big G.O.P. gains that had been predicted in the midterm elections that year.
—Annie Karni, New York Times, 22 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for stave off 
Simmone Shah, TIME, 23 May 2024
Highlighting reproductive rights and Republicans’ opposition to measures to protect them helped stave off big G.O.P. gains that had been predicted in the midterm elections that year.
—Annie Karni, New York Times, 22 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for stave off
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stave off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near stave off
Cite this Entry
“Stave off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stave%20off. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
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