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
That’s how, last night, the best golfer most of us have ever seen slinked out of a Florida jail shortly before midnight and headed off into an uncertain future.
—
Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2026
That’s how, last night, the best golfer most of us have ever seen slinked out of a Florida jail shortly before midnight and headed off into an uncertain future.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2026
Slotkin said her legislation could have headed off that split.
—Kevin Collier, NBC news, 17 Mar. 2026
When Riley and the Grinch headed off to USC, Johnson decided to follow their lead and served as a graduate assistant from 2022 to 2023.
—Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2026
With Joe Ryan and Taj Bradley headed off to compete in the World Baseball Classic next month, the Twins should get an extended look at some of their rotation options.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 18 Feb. 2026
The trio and Peterson subsequently boarded a 1947 Beechcraft Model 35 Bonanza airplane and headed off into poor winter weather conditions late at night.
—Chris Barilla, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026
Some of us headed off to bed; for others, another movie beckoned.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2026
The Moment lands between a celebrity thriller, reality television, and a pop concert documentary that’s headed off the rails.
—Anna Gaca, Pitchfork, 30 Jan. 2026
Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2026
That’s how, last night, the best golfer most of us have ever seen slinked out of a Florida jail shortly before midnight and headed off into an uncertain future.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2026
Slotkin said her legislation could have headed off that split.
—Kevin Collier, NBC news, 17 Mar. 2026
When Riley and the Grinch headed off to USC, Johnson decided to follow their lead and served as a graduate assistant from 2022 to 2023.
—Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2026
With Joe Ryan and Taj Bradley headed off to compete in the World Baseball Classic next month, the Twins should get an extended look at some of their rotation options.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 18 Feb. 2026
The trio and Peterson subsequently boarded a 1947 Beechcraft Model 35 Bonanza airplane and headed off into poor winter weather conditions late at night.
—Chris Barilla, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026
Some of us headed off to bed; for others, another movie beckoned.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2026
The Moment lands between a celebrity thriller, reality television, and a pop concert documentary that’s headed off the rails.
—Anna Gaca, Pitchfork, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headed off
Verb
-
The Mets averted disaster in the first inning.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
11 Apr. 2026
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Despite its status as one of the world's major oil importers, China averted the worst of the energy shock caused by the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz thanks to multi-year efforts to diversify its energy mix and build up reserves.—
Joseph Wilkins,Sean Conlon,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Secret Service says its nationwide operation has prevented more than $570 million in taxpayer money from being lost to criminals.—
J.D. Miles,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
While a media blackout prevented anyone from weighing in on the negotiations, a few audible sighs of relief could be heard when the WGA’s surprise agreement with the AMPTP was mentioned.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Headed off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headed%20off. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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