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

There was a sense that only significant deals could stave off the double threat of the Austrian’s outbursts over transfers destabilising the team midway through the campaign and Palace tumbling into a relegation battle. — Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Sleep, for instance, isn’t downtime but active maintenance, when the brain flushes out cellular waste in ways that may help stave off dementia. — Andrea Gawrylewski, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2026

This is the best way to stave off the oil buildup that causes yellowing on your pillowcases. — Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 30 Aug. 2026

On Thursday, however, the day Ahmed entered custody in Chicago, prosecutors secured a new indictment from a different grand jury that could stave off any further inquiry. — Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 28 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