ward off

phrasal verb

warded off; warding off; wards off

: to avoid being hit by (something)

ward off a blow

—often used figuratively

I tried different remedies to ward off a cold.

Examples of ward off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Alzheimer’s Disease Adding more cinnamon to your diet may help protect cognitive function, potentially warding off neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. —Sarah Bradley, Health, 11 Dec. 2025

Gone are the selfies taken before or after an escalator ride, gone is the spotlight that prompted travelers to toss in coins or dollars at its feet for good luck, or to ward off our own extinction. —John Shumway, CBS News, 10 Dec. 2025

Unsalted butter lacks the extra protection provided by salt to ward off bacterial growth. —Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 10 Dec. 2025

Many coaches signed multiple big-money extensions amid interest from other programs, and now Notre Dame is warding off NFL suitors. —Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025

Rhymes for ward off

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff