ward off
phrasal verb
warded off; warding off; wards off
: to avoid being hit by (something)
ward off a blow
—often used figurativelyI tried different remedies to ward off a cold.
Examples of ward off in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Let’s concentrate all our energies on warding off turf injuries.
—
Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
Keep your veggies going as long as possible with these simple techniques to ward off frost damage.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Oct. 2025
Babies may soon join soldiers in the fight to ward off malaria.
—Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 7 Oct. 2025
Her books were their progeny, Stein acknowledged, and without Alice’s mothering—and typing, proofreading, cooking, sewing, shopping, bookkeeping, and warding off bores—they might not have been born.
—Judith Thurman, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ward off
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Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
Keep your veggies going as long as possible with these simple techniques to ward off frost damage.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Oct. 2025
Babies may soon join soldiers in the fight to ward off malaria.
—Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 7 Oct. 2025
Her books were their progeny, Stein acknowledged, and without Alice’s mothering—and typing, proofreading, cooking, sewing, shopping, bookkeeping, and warding off bores—they might not have been born.
—Judith Thurman, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ward off
Cite this Entry
“Ward off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ward%20off. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.
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