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
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
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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Advertisement The tough talk coming from Democrats now is not all that different from what some of them were saying in March, just before Schumer and other Senate Democrats gave in and averted a shutdown.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
4 Sep. 2025
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Since 1974, vaccination campaigns have averted 154 million deaths, including 146 million among children younger than 5 years old, of whom 101 million were infants younger than a year old.—
Bernadette Boden Albala,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This type of rash or breakout can be prevented by avoiding perfumes, colognes, citrus oils and other common triggers before going outside in the sun.—
Leslie Baumann,
Miami Herald,
4 Sep. 2025
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Humanitarian agencies have been prevented by the belligerents from providing aid, while conflicts elsewhere have sapped the West’s attention.—
Tasneem Nashrulla,
semafor.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Headed off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headed%20off. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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