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
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
Talking with a media scrum after his team staved off a relentless Crimsons team, the veteran head coach was happy after getting beat by Manual the past two seasons.
—
Rich Barak, Louisville Courier Journal, 11 Oct. 2025
In Wednesday night’s 4-3 victory for the Cubs to stave off elimination against the Brewers in the best-of-five National League Division Series, Crow-Armstrong’s two-out, two-RBI single in the first inning was the type of momentum-shifting hit that Chicago has been searching for this series.
—Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
Meanwhile, another kind of natural fatty acid undermines these cells and may diminish the body's ability to stave off tumor growth.
—New Atlas, 9 Oct. 2025
No government has been able to stave off, slow, or even manage the infiltration of giant, immensely lucrative tech companies into every corner of young humans’ lives and interaction.
—Belinda Luscombe, Time, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stave off
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Rich Barak, Louisville Courier Journal, 11 Oct. 2025
In Wednesday night’s 4-3 victory for the Cubs to stave off elimination against the Brewers in the best-of-five National League Division Series, Crow-Armstrong’s two-out, two-RBI single in the first inning was the type of momentum-shifting hit that Chicago has been searching for this series.
—Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
Meanwhile, another kind of natural fatty acid undermines these cells and may diminish the body's ability to stave off tumor growth.
—New Atlas, 9 Oct. 2025
No government has been able to stave off, slow, or even manage the infiltration of giant, immensely lucrative tech companies into every corner of young humans’ lives and interaction.
—Belinda Luscombe, Time, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stave off
Cite this Entry
“Stave off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stave%20off. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
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