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

After England got on the board, Argentina's pressure was relentless, but England was able to stave off the Argentine attack for about 30 minutes. — Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 19 July 2026

Possibly in order to stave off filmmaker attrition, sources tell THR that in the past few years, A24 has asked that a first-look at a filmmaker’s second project be baked into the deal for their first. — Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 17 July 2026

Here are a few asset classes that can help your portfolio stave off the ill effects of inflation. — Darla Mercado, Cfp®,michelle Fox, CNBC, 17 July 2026

The secretive deal comes just five years after Dade Heritage Trust staved off attempts by the city to sell the small property or turn it into a dog park. — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 17 July 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