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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
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Recent Examples of stave off
But when cold weather rushes in, a good eye mask becomes essential for staving off dark circles, dry skin, and the puffiness that follows a late night of caviar, blinis, and martinis (‘tis the season to indulge, after all).
—
Jenny Berg, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2025
The longer the inevitable was staved off, the harsher the eventual adjustment.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 26 Oct. 2025
To stave off these injuries, IndyStar dug around and spoke with an expert at Purdue Extension about what Hoosiers can do to keep their plants safe and healthy.
—Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 23 Oct. 2025
In Yolo County, Baker is looking at the shutdown and the looming threat to CalFresh, the state program critical to helping low-income Californians stave off food insecurity, with a mix of anxiety and anger.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stave off
Jenny Berg, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2025
The longer the inevitable was staved off, the harsher the eventual adjustment.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 26 Oct. 2025
To stave off these injuries, IndyStar dug around and spoke with an expert at Purdue Extension about what Hoosiers can do to keep their plants safe and healthy.
—Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 23 Oct. 2025
In Yolo County, Baker is looking at the shutdown and the looming threat to CalFresh, the state program critical to helping low-income Californians stave off food insecurity, with a mix of anxiety and anger.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stave off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stave off
Verb
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The windshield repels the huddled form and the thump on the pavement sounds like a rebuke.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
It’s made from solid red wood cedar that’s water-resistant, won’t decay, and repels insects.—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The Heat, which was out-rebounded 61-38 in Wednesday’s loss in Denver, has had particular difficulty preventing teams from rebounding their own miss.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
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When in a group, space out to prevent the current from transferring between individuals.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Patriot resists easy characterization chiefly because of Conrad’s writing, which gives his characters strange rhythms and, sometimes, even stranger verbiage.—
Claire McNear,
Rolling Stone,
8 Nov. 2025
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Will you be allowed to bring in your own people, or will the Monforts — owner Dick Monfort and his son Walker, the executive vice president — resist your efforts?—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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But, traditionally, the judiciary has been concerned about its institutional competence, relative to the other branches’, to evaluate the nature and extent of foreign threats and the policies needed to avert them.—
Jeannie Suk Gersen,
New Yorker,
6 Nov. 2025
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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
Verb
-
There’s turning back up until the deed is done.—
Kate Aurthur,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
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When Genevieve’s physics experiment at the 1934 Chicago World’s Fair goes explosively wrong, Ash jumps in to save the day, turning back time by a few minutes to prevent disaster.—
Caroline Carlson,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The actress was also filmed getting final makeup touch-ups before heading off to the ceremony.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
5 Jan. 2026
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Within just five minutes, a motorcade, including the armored truck, a white van and roughly 10 black SUVs, headed off south down the West Side Highway with lights flashing.—
Rebecca White,
New York Daily News,
3 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But recent election results suggest trouble for the Republicans, with voters who fueled their gains in 2024 turning away from the party.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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Their counterparts who had been turned away from Mercer County, too, formed communities elsewhere in Ohio.—
Equal Justice Initiative,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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For reasons that are quite possibly too unbearable to contemplate, a large group of American voters was not repulsed by such slander—they were actually aroused by it—and our politics have not been the same.—
Jeffrey Goldberg,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
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Nicole is the kind of wife who moves out of her father’s home into her husband’s home, and who has been taught to be repulsed by the mushroom spores covering her body, just like all the women in their community.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stave off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stave%20off. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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