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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Recent Examples of head off
Both of the Kelce brothers went to Cincinnati before heading off to their respective NFL careers.
—
Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 2 Apr. 2026
That’s how, last night, the best golfer most of us have ever seen slinked out of a Florida jail shortly before midnight and headed off into an uncertain future.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2026
Congress heads off on a two-week recess with no deal.
—ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026
That’s how, last night, the best golfer most of us have ever seen slinked out of a Florida jail shortly before midnight and headed off into an uncertain future.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for head off
Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 2 Apr. 2026
That’s how, last night, the best golfer most of us have ever seen slinked out of a Florida jail shortly before midnight and headed off into an uncertain future.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2026
Congress heads off on a two-week recess with no deal.
—ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026
That’s how, last night, the best golfer most of us have ever seen slinked out of a Florida jail shortly before midnight and headed off into an uncertain future.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for head off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for head off
Verb
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The bill also creates a pathway for people to sue if they were harmed by conversion therapy as children and a separate measure prevents insurers from covering such a practice.—
Caroline Cummings,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
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More often than not, a lack of numbers have prevented the program from fielding a full varsity team, something Kendall and second-year coach Tonia Logan would like to remedy.—
Rick Armstrong,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Despite its status as one of the world's major oil importers, China averted the worst of the energy shock caused by the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz thanks to multi-year efforts to diversify its energy mix and build up reserves.—
Joseph Wilkins,Sean Conlon,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
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CNN‘s reporting of a statement issued by the country’s Supreme National Security Council, declaring victory and averting the president’s threat to launch attacks on civilian infrastructure.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Head off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/head%20off. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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