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
The agreement approved by Hawk on Friday heads off what prosecutors described as the risk of the conviction being vacated by a higher court, and the subsequent prospect of a new trial that hinges on records, evidence, and witness availability blunted by the passing of four decades.
—
Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2026
Slotkin said her legislation could have headed off that split.
—Kevin Collier, NBC news, 17 Mar. 2026
After religious conservatives objected to the film’s poster – which depicted an apparently pregnant Virgin Mary nailed to a cross – riot police were called out to head off any potential disturbances at the premiere.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 14 Mar. 2026
He’s successfully advocated for creating new incentives for affordable housing construction and automatically renewing a program that freezes property values for some seniors, heading off big bill spikes from rising property values.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for head off
Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2026
Slotkin said her legislation could have headed off that split.
—Kevin Collier, NBC news, 17 Mar. 2026
After religious conservatives objected to the film’s poster – which depicted an apparently pregnant Virgin Mary nailed to a cross – riot police were called out to head off any potential disturbances at the premiere.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 14 Mar. 2026
He’s successfully advocated for creating new incentives for affordable housing construction and automatically renewing a program that freezes property values for some seniors, heading off big bill spikes from rising property values.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for head off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for head off
Verb
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Salam said after an emergency Cabinet meeting in early March that only the state should decide on matters of war and peace and called on security agencies to prevent the firing of missiles or drones from Lebanon and detain those behind the launch.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Mar. 2026
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Social Security payment amounts are set to shrink unless Congress takes action to prevent it.—
Asher Notheis,
The Washington Examiner,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Like in the Rangers’ final exhibition game Tuesday, when a Jack Leiter pitch was reversed from a ball to a strike, meaning a walk became a strikeout and a potential unraveling was thus averted.—
Kevin Sherrington
Mar. 25,
Dallas Morning News,
25 Mar. 2026
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Those federal funds averted over 12,000 evictions in Milwaukee.—
Gina Lee Castro,
jsonline.com,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Head off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/head%20off. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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