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
The incident became part of the over-the-top tableau of the madman’s career: biting the head off a live bat (true), biting the head off a live dove (also true), tossing a 50-inch TV out a hotel window (obviously true).
—
Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 22 July 2025
Osbourne plays himself and saves the day by biting the head off of Nicky's evil brother, Adrian, who had turned into a bat.
—Daysia Tolentino, EW.com, 24 July 2025
But one thing remains true in both stories, whether the animal was alive or dead, Osbourne really did bite its head off.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 23 July 2025
Ozzy Osbourne biting the head off of a dead bat became a big chunk of rock history, and his own.
—Jay Stahl, USA Today, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for head off
Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 22 July 2025
Osbourne plays himself and saves the day by biting the head off of Nicky's evil brother, Adrian, who had turned into a bat.
—Daysia Tolentino, EW.com, 24 July 2025
But one thing remains true in both stories, whether the animal was alive or dead, Osbourne really did bite its head off.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 23 July 2025
Ozzy Osbourne biting the head off of a dead bat became a big chunk of rock history, and his own.
—Jay Stahl, USA Today, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for head off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for head off
Verb
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Texas Democrats have fled the state to prevent the legislature from proceeding and Texas Republicans have issued warrants for their arrest.—
Colin Pascal,
Baltimore Sun,
16 Aug. 2025
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Regularly wiping down cabinets will help prevent grease from creating a sticky buildup on your cabinets.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Williams begins by claiming that there was a brief golden period when Americans might have joined together to avert the disaster of identity politics.—
Andrea Long Chu,
Vulture,
5 Aug. 2025
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To focus on banks allegedly turning away business for political reasons, or closing accounts similarly for reasons of politics, is for pundits, politicians and even presidents to avert their gaze from the real problem: regulators.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
5 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Head off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/head%20off. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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