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
The 2015 Paris Agreement forged a path for the world to stave off the worst climate change scenarios.
—
Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 22 Nov. 2025
Unseasonably warm weather has delayed local ski areas’ season opening dates and staved off snowmaking, and forecasts aren’t calling for powder days anytime soon.
—Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 21 Nov. 2025
Botox has become increasingly popular with people in their 20s seeking to stave off wrinkles.
—NPR, 17 Nov. 2025
Key reservoirs are shrinking as rainfall is at record lows, and authorities are scrambling to reduce water consumption, and residents are desperately trying to conserve it to stave off catastrophe.
—Mohammed Tawfeeq, CNN Money, 16 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stave off
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Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 22 Nov. 2025
Unseasonably warm weather has delayed local ski areas’ season opening dates and staved off snowmaking, and forecasts aren’t calling for powder days anytime soon.
—Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 21 Nov. 2025
Botox has become increasingly popular with people in their 20s seeking to stave off wrinkles.
—NPR, 17 Nov. 2025
Key reservoirs are shrinking as rainfall is at record lows, and authorities are scrambling to reduce water consumption, and residents are desperately trying to conserve it to stave off catastrophe.
—Mohammed Tawfeeq, CNN Money, 16 Nov. 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 30 Nov. 2025.
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