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 more descriptive call of the play saw the Wild forward step in front of a Florida pass at the defensive blue line and head off on a break away from there, snapping a wrist shot past Bobrovsky to briefly give Minnesota a 3-2 lead.
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Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 25 Jan. 2026
The colt won the Florida Derby and headed off to Louisville as one of the likely favorites — if not the favorite — for the Kentucky Derby.
—Clark Spencer, Miami Herald, 22 Jan. 2026
Then at the other end shortly after, Diaz was brought down in the area as a corner came in, and several members of the Senegal team headed off the pitch and down the tunnel in protest when the referee awarded a penalty.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026
Newsom is trying to head off a union’s plan for a November ballot measure that would put a one-time tax on billionaires.
—Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for head off
Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 25 Jan. 2026
The colt won the Florida Derby and headed off to Louisville as one of the likely favorites — if not the favorite — for the Kentucky Derby.
—Clark Spencer, Miami Herald, 22 Jan. 2026
Then at the other end shortly after, Diaz was brought down in the area as a corner came in, and several members of the Senegal team headed off the pitch and down the tunnel in protest when the referee awarded a penalty.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026
Newsom is trying to head off a union’s plan for a November ballot measure that would put a one-time tax on billionaires.
—Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for head off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for head off
Verb
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This formula contains niacinamide to help support hair and skin health, ashwagandha extract to soothe, and biotin to help strengthen hair and prevent breakage.—
Andrea Navarro,
Glamour,
29 Jan. 2026
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The yen touched its strongest level since October in US trading Tuesday after comments from Japanese officials, including just recently the finance minister, fueled speculation that the government may intervene in the market to prevent the currency from resuming its decline.—
Mia Glass,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Trump also endorsed a Senate deal on government funding that would help avert a shutdown of federal services, according to Reuters.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
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Gulf states are ramping up diplomatic efforts to avert a US strike on Iran that could spill across the region.—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Head off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/head%20off. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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