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

That passage is almost certainly a way to head off negative reviews of the pavilion, as well as a response to the controversy surrounding Allen’s selection, including the pavilion’s commissioner, the American Arts Conservancy, a year-old nonprofit headed by someone with no museum experience. —Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 6 May 2026

Last May, the Ghostbusters actress shared another rare glimpse of Vivian as the high schooler headed off to her prom. —Staff Author, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026

The Twins will have Monday off before heading off on a six-game road trip that will take them to Washington and Cleveland. —Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 3 May 2026

The environmentally responsible growth boundaries, approved by voters in 1990 and renewed in 2006, headed off the threat of development up the slopes of Mount Diablo and on farmland and scenic ridges. —East Bay Times Editorial, Mercury News, 29 Apr. 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