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
Chucheng Feng, a partner at Hutong Research in Beijing, is on the lookout for signs that the leadership will unleash anti-corruption forces on the problem this year, targeting and punishing local government officials who prop up zombie firms in order to ward off political backlash.
—
Andy Browne, semafor.com, 8 Jan. 2026
While plants primarily produce them to ward off predators, these potent substances are also found in certain fungi and even some species of frogs.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 7 Jan. 2026
Omaha The Lauritzen Gardens' $21 million conservatory wards off winter's chill in Omaha.
—Ashlyn Ware, Midwest Living, 7 Jan. 2026
Medical experts across the board recommend annual vaccinations to ward off the flu.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ward off
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Andy Browne, semafor.com, 8 Jan. 2026
While plants primarily produce them to ward off predators, these potent substances are also found in certain fungi and even some species of frogs.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 7 Jan. 2026
Omaha The Lauritzen Gardens' $21 million conservatory wards off winter's chill in Omaha.
—Ashlyn Ware, Midwest Living, 7 Jan. 2026
Medical experts across the board recommend annual vaccinations to ward off the flu.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 6 Jan. 2026
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 12 Jan. 2026.
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