stave off

verb

Definition of stave offnext
1
as in to repel
to drive back managed to stave off the invaders

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to prevent
to keep from happening by taking action in advance the quartermaster staved off a shortage by requisitioning more than enough supplies

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stave off Veterinary experts share tips on how to care for the items that come into contact with our furry companions to promote good health and stave off odors. — Jolie Kerr, Washington Post, 1 Aug. 2026 Brownsville residents already staved off efforts by Hialeah to annex part of the neighborhood into the city back in 2023 – an effort Pinkney fought furiously against. — Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026 Then, higher oil prices provided a fresh windfall for Putin to stave off collapse. — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 30 July 2026 Leg strengthening exercises can help stave off sarcopenia and metabolic disease. — Jenessa Connor, Health, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for stave off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stave off
  1. repel
  2. prevent
  3. resist
  4. avert
  5. turn back
  6. head off
  7. turn away
  8. repulse
Verb
  • They’re made with unique materials that repel sand and other debris.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The buildings —critical to the AI boom driving intense investment — have repelled voters due to their massive energy and water demand.
    — Garrett Downs, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of repel
Verb
  • Highs in the mid-90s are expected in the Spokane area, though smoke might block out enough warming sunlight to prevent temperatures from getting quite as hotas forecast.
    — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The blacklist caused serious health problems, tore families apart, drove people to suicide, and prevented some potentially great films from ever being made.
    — John Bleasdale, Variety, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of prevent
Verb
  • Refusing to step out when instructed can lead to charges like interfering with public duties or resisting detention, even if the underlying stop was for a minor violation.
    — Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Roq Innovation Raquel Graham dreamed up NEKZ, a scarf alternative, when her children resisted wearing them during Chicago’s frigid winters.
    — Elaine Pofeldt, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of resist
Verb
  • The Senate passed a bipartisan bill to avert a federal government shutdown starting in October, and the measure now heads to the House.
    — Theodoric Meyer, Washington Post, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The Senate just went out with a bang ‒ passing a government funding bill to try to avert another shutdown, confirming Todd Blanche as attorney general and bucking a voter ID measure.
    — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of avert
Verb
  • Cubans are planning their lives around the lights turning back on.
    — Andrea Rodriguez, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026
  • At times, they were seen swerving around other drivers and driving at speeds up to 95 miles per hour in the northbound lanes before getting onto the westbound I-10, exiting near downtown and then turning back toward Boyle Heights on surface streets.
    — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of turn back
Verb
  • Sadly, there are no plans for this sleek beast to be heading off-road outside of mainland China at this stage.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Phish’s summer tour continues Saturday night at Fenway again before the band heads off to Denver’s Dick’s Sporting Goods Park for a tour-ending Labor Day weekend trio of shows.
    — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of head off
Verb
  • New Zealanders must now be registered and have their addresses and other details updated in the system 13 days before election day, or they will be turned away from polling places.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The coroner’s report said that Khalil died in the evening from cardiac arrest due to head trauma and severe bleeding, hours after paramedics initially entered the area and were turned away, said Human Rights Watch’s Lebanon Researcher Ramzi Kaiss.
    — Kareem Chehayeb, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of turn away
Verb
  • Philly may be shedding its second-fiddle status, but it remains entirely repulsed by frauds and underachievers.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
  • Plenty of people bought it, plenty were repulsed by it.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 11 June 2026
Definition of repulse

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staved off
stave off
staves off
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Cite this Entry

“Stave off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stave%20off. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on stave off

Nglish: Translation of stave off for Spanish Speakers

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