as in preventing
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 heading off
On Instagram, Kelly regularly shares snaps of her family life — including photos of her girls heading off to their first days of school last month.
—
Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 2025
However, becoming an expat is not always as simple as packing up your bags and heading off to wherever calls your name.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
The broadcasting deals were revealed in exclusivity to Variety on Monday by global distributor Federation International, as 150 world buyers were heading off to this week’s Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Le Havre, the world’s largest dedicated market for French audiovisual content.
—Annika Pham, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025
The gig was the band’s final show before heading off to the studio to record their next studio album, which will be their first LP without Brent Hinds.
—Quentin Thane Singer, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 2025
However, becoming an expat is not always as simple as packing up your bags and heading off to wherever calls your name.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
The broadcasting deals were revealed in exclusivity to Variety on Monday by global distributor Federation International, as 150 world buyers were heading off to this week’s Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Le Havre, the world’s largest dedicated market for French audiovisual content.
—Annika Pham, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025
The gig was the band’s final show before heading off to the studio to record their next studio album, which will be their first LP without Brent Hinds.
—Quentin Thane Singer, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heading off
Verb
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The researchers wanted to examine the circumstances surrounding those episodes to identify solutions for preventing such deaths, said Chaudhary, who is also an assistant professor in pediatrics and emergency medicine at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
26 Sep. 2025
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This benefit enhances the safety of the fuel cell by preventing dangerous leaks.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Understanding the gravity of a red flag warning and adhering to these precautions is paramount in averting wildfires during these perilous conditions.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
26 Sep. 2025
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The universal vaccine recommendation that was in place in this scenario was projected to reduce hospitalizations by 11% and deaths by 13% – essentially averting 104,000 hospitalizations and 9,000 deaths.—
Deidre McPhillips,
CNN Money,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Heading off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heading%20off. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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