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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of head off
And the last night before Kimmel heads off on his two-month-long break would not be complete without a Matt Damon sighting.
—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
19 June 2026
Local outfitters can provide the essentials—just pack your sunscreen and a cooler full of your favorite refreshments before heading off to one of these popular destinations.
—
Kelsey Yandura,
Midwest Living,
17 June 2026
Price and her dogs then ran from the area while the bear headed off in the opposite direction.
—
Brittany Miller,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
This Cannes Directors’ Fortnight prizewinner sets out its pitch-black-comic stall early with a prologue in which, after a brief contretemps, local man Raoul Brun (Jean-Louis Coulloc’h) blows his supercilious neighbor’s head off with a shotgun and then disappears.
—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for head off
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
19 June 2026
Local outfitters can provide the essentials—just pack your sunscreen and a cooler full of your favorite refreshments before heading off to one of these popular destinations.
—
Kelsey Yandura,
Midwest Living,
17 June 2026
Price and her dogs then ran from the area while the bear headed off in the opposite direction.
—
Brittany Miller,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
This Cannes Directors’ Fortnight prizewinner sets out its pitch-black-comic stall early with a prologue in which, after a brief contretemps, local man Raoul Brun (Jean-Louis Coulloc’h) blows his supercilious neighbor’s head off with a shotgun and then disappears.
—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for head off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for head off
Verb
-
Nejat argues that his experience with Miller and his termination could have been prevented with the protection of a union.
-
Segregation laws prevented Black students from integrating into Euless schools in 1950.
Verb
-
The deal averts a ballot referendum that backers from the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association said would’ve reigned in expansive local real estate taxes.
-
The catastrophies that our heroine averts are awfully small potatoes — a bulldozer running amok, an amusement park ride speeding out of control, some prankish teenagers scheming to turn the girl’s shower into a steambath.
Cite this Entry
“Head off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/head%20off. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
