as in averted
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 headed off
During an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in December 2023, Roberts also opened up about Henry being the only child left at home at the time after his two siblings headed off to college.
—
Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025
Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik are headed off on a roadtrip in a Netflix docu-series, Deadline can confirm.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2025
So, unless you are headed off to war or want to come across as a total drama queen, the more casual mata ne (see you later) will suffice.
—Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 28 Sep. 2025
Decked out in a custom 3D wheelchair, Cola, now aged 4, left the shelter and headed off into the sunset and a life in a new forever home.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Pegula then broke again to cap a four-game run that wrapped up the set and, this time, Sabalenka quickly retrieved her bag and headed off to the locker room.
—Howard Fendrich, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
For the first time since kindergarten, Jimmy Snuggerud isn’t headed off to school this year.
—Jeremy Rutherford, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2025
Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025
Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik are headed off on a roadtrip in a Netflix docu-series, Deadline can confirm.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2025
So, unless you are headed off to war or want to come across as a total drama queen, the more casual mata ne (see you later) will suffice.
—Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 28 Sep. 2025
Decked out in a custom 3D wheelchair, Cola, now aged 4, left the shelter and headed off into the sunset and a life in a new forever home.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Pegula then broke again to cap a four-game run that wrapped up the set and, this time, Sabalenka quickly retrieved her bag and headed off to the locker room.
—Howard Fendrich, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
For the first time since kindergarten, Jimmy Snuggerud isn’t headed off to school this year.
—Jeremy Rutherford, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headed off
Verb
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In April 2011, leaders of both parties came to an agreement following weeks of difficult negotiations and ultimately averted a government shutdown, as recapped by President Barack Obama.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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Former Assistant Principal Ebony Parker is accused of ignoring red flags that might have averted the 2023 shooting.—
Chris Boyette,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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LogoPowered byScale logo At least 114 people have died and 127 remain missing in central Philippines after a typhoon caused destruction and widespread flooding, which local officials suggest could have been prevented if not for persistent graft in flood-control projects.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
6 Nov. 2025
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The government shutdown, which started on October 1, has prevented many federal employees from getting paid.—
Holly Yan,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Headed off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headed%20off. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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