head off

verb

headed off; heading off; heads off

transitive verb

: to turn back or turn aside : block, prevent

head them off at the pass

attempts to head off the imminent crisis

intransitive verb

: to go to another place

See you later—I'm heading off to work.

Synonyms of head off

• prevent
• avert

Examples of head off in a Sentence

if we act quickly, we may still be able to head off disaster

Recent Examples on the Web

And that final moment on the park bench, before Armand and Daniel cut Lestat and Louis’s heads off, their fingers briefly touch. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 15 July 2026

After high school, the plan was for Jonah Neal to work at Sam's Club and take a gap year before heading off to college. — Juliana Kim, NPR, 13 July 2026

As George’s 13th birthday is coming up on July 22—and as his birthstone is ruby—Kate’s jewelry on Saturday is thought to be a tribute to her eldest child, who will head off to Eton College in the fall. — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 13 July 2026

Starting this month, a working adult in their mid-30s seeking to upgrade their skills will have access to the same source of federal financial aid that is available to a high school graduate heading off to a four-year degree institution in the fall. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 13 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for head off

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff