stave off

verb

staved off; staving off; staves off

transitive verb

1

: to fend off

staving off creditors

2

: to ward off (something adverse) : forestall

trying to stave off disaster

Synonyms of stave off

• repel
• resist
• turn back
• fend (off)
• turn away
• repulse
• beat off

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

Standouts include prebiotics and probiotics to help balance the scalp biome, salicylic acid to slough away dry skin and stave off flakiness, and biotin to support thickness once growth kicks into gear. — Annie Blackman, InStyle, 2 Aug. 2026

The summer of 2025 was consumed by Newcastle (unsuccessfully) staving off interest in Alexander Isak. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026

The Motor City Machine Guns came down to stave off the attack and embraced the Bang Bang Gang in the ring. — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2026

The Kansas City City Council approved a trio of ordinances on Thursday aimed at vacant properties that become nuisances and staving off demolition of historic buildings. — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for stave off

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

Kids Definition

stave off

verb

: to force or keep away : fend off

stave off trouble