as in to prevent
to keep from happening by taking action in advance
if we act quickly, we may still be able to head off disaster
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of head off
On the day this particular video was filmed, Michael was heading off for one of the most gruelling shifts on his intensive schedule.
—
Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
The Politics of Retreat In the UK, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, seeking to head off pressure from Reform, has pledged to repeal the landmark 2008 Climate Change Act, which established binding carbon budgets and created the independent Climate Change Committee.
—Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 3 Oct. 2025
On Instagram, Kelly regularly shares snaps of her family life — including photos of her girls heading off to their first days of school last month.
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025
Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik are headed off on a roadtrip in a Netflix docu-series, Deadline can confirm.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for head off
Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
The Politics of Retreat In the UK, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, seeking to head off pressure from Reform, has pledged to repeal the landmark 2008 Climate Change Act, which established binding carbon budgets and created the independent Climate Change Committee.
—Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 3 Oct. 2025
On Instagram, Kelly regularly shares snaps of her family life — including photos of her girls heading off to their first days of school last month.
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025
Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik are headed off on a roadtrip in a Netflix docu-series, Deadline can confirm.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for head off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for head off
Verb
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These suburban residents hope that vigilance will prevent the process of neighbourhood change from beginning.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
18 Oct. 2025
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While the administration frames it as a measure to prevent misuse, the policy raises questions about the consequences for migrants.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The government’s survival on Thursday averted that outcome, at least for the time being.—
Aurelien Breeden,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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This story has been corrected to show the warnings were reversed in 2015 before Congress averted a shutdown.—
Geoff Mulvihill,
Twin Cities,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Head off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/head%20off. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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