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
Someone cut the head off a dead sea lion on a Northern California beach, and federal fisheries officials would like to know who.
—
Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 29 Sep. 2025
So, unless you are headed off to war or want to come across as a total drama queen, the more casual mata ne (see you later) will suffice.
—Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 28 Sep. 2025
New Jersey kids go to Penn State instead of Rutgers; Illinois residents head off to the University of Missouri instead of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
—Jeffrey Selingo, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2025
Waller in particular has expressed concern that the Fed should ease policy now to head off future issues in the labor market.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for head off
Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 29 Sep. 2025
So, unless you are headed off to war or want to come across as a total drama queen, the more casual mata ne (see you later) will suffice.
—Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 28 Sep. 2025
New Jersey kids go to Penn State instead of Rutgers; Illinois residents head off to the University of Missouri instead of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
—Jeffrey Selingo, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2025
Waller in particular has expressed concern that the Fed should ease policy now to head off future issues in the labor market.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for head off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for head off
Verb
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Roy said that fast, accurate intervention can prevent deaths in traumatic emergencies.—
Nour Rahal,
Freep.com,
4 Oct. 2025
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One brings therapy dogs that can prevent elopement, which is when kids with autism wander away from caregivers, into classrooms.—
Victoria Moorwood,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In April 2011, leaders of both parties came to an agreement following weeks of difficult negotiations and ultimately averted a government shutdown, as recapped by President Barack Obama.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
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But as midnight that day passed without a vote on a spending plan, lawmakers bought themselves some time with a stopgap funding plan to avert a partial government shutdown for a week.—
Clara Hendrickson,
Freep.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Head off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/head%20off. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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