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
After the second hanging, the town doctor cut Hooch’s head off, apparently looking for signs of syphilis (brain involvement is often an indicator), which might seem to explain his erratic behavior.
—
Graham Averill, Outside, 28 Oct. 2025
The president calls his wife and complains about the sole of his shoe before heading off to a girls’ basketball event with Angel Reese.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
To create the costume, Sisto took a sheep onesie and cut the head off of it.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025
Court records said Streich bounced Laurer's head off the wall.
—Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for head off
Graham Averill, Outside, 28 Oct. 2025
The president calls his wife and complains about the sole of his shoe before heading off to a girls’ basketball event with Angel Reese.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
To create the costume, Sisto took a sheep onesie and cut the head off of it.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025
Court records said Streich bounced Laurer's head off the wall.
—Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for head off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for head off
Verb
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Earlier this month, Bush told PEOPLE that Bills quarterback Josh Allen and his wife, actress Hailee Steinfeld, have previously put on the party, but work commitments prevented Steinfeld from continuing the tradition.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
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Stronger muscles can reduce the stress and impact put on cartilage during daily activities, helping prevent further wear and tear.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Today’s agreement, struck on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea, averts another escalation of tensions between the world’s two great powers.—
Michael Schuman,
The Atlantic,
30 Oct. 2025
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In Congress, lawmakers from both parties have introduced measures to avert future disruptions.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Head off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/head%20off. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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