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

After sitting down to get her hair done, Martha had just enough time to grout her kitchen floors before heading off to New York City to begin her workday. — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 22 July 2026

As Prince George heads off to Eton College in September, the prestigious all-boys school has a rule that George’s parents Prince William and Kate Middleton will be a fan of. — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 22 July 2026

Yet, with the Gaza death toll exceeding twenty-eight thousand, the amendment had enough support among progressives that Senator Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader, asked the White House for help heading off an intraparty feud. — David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 20 July 2026

With that hurdle successfully navigated, Cameron was back in the driver's seat and ready to head off to LV-426. — Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 19 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