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
This was one for those who had suffered the most difficult days in the club’s history — two administrations, defeats in two previous cup finals, desperately staving off relegation from the second tier on the final day when going down would have put the club’s future in grave peril.
—
Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 19 May 2025
Two of his listeners draped large towels over their heads to stave off the elements.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 May 2025
By the late 1970s, a recovery effort was launched to stave off extinction.
—Megan Ross, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2025
The series shifts back to Washington for Game 5 on Thursday, with the Eastern Conference’s top seed working to stave off elimination and the Hurricanes aiming for a second trip to the conference final in three seasons.
—Aaron Beard, Baltimore Sun, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for stave off
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Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 19 May 2025
Two of his listeners draped large towels over their heads to stave off the elements.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 May 2025
By the late 1970s, a recovery effort was launched to stave off extinction.
—Megan Ross, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2025
The series shifts back to Washington for Game 5 on Thursday, with the Eastern Conference’s top seed working to stave off elimination and the Hurricanes aiming for a second trip to the conference final in three seasons.
—Aaron Beard, Baltimore Sun, 13 May 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 23 May. 2025.
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