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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stave off
Its duration favors the studios by staving off another renegotiation and potential work stoppage until 2030.
—
Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 7 Apr. 2026
The Huskies took control from the start, gave the Illini a brief lead in the first half and took several body blows in the final minutes to stave off a collapse.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
Drugs that manage or stave off illnesses like diabetes and blood clots will be taken less if at all.
—Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 4 Apr. 2026
But with one-fifth of the world’s oil supply still largely bottled up in the Persian Gulf, which provides more than 80% of Asia’s energy supplies, shortages are worsening and getting hard to stave off with contingency measures.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stave off
Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 7 Apr. 2026
The Huskies took control from the start, gave the Illini a brief lead in the first half and took several body blows in the final minutes to stave off a collapse.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
Drugs that manage or stave off illnesses like diabetes and blood clots will be taken less if at all.
—Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 4 Apr. 2026
But with one-fifth of the world’s oil supply still largely bottled up in the Persian Gulf, which provides more than 80% of Asia’s energy supplies, shortages are worsening and getting hard to stave off with contingency measures.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stave off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stave off
Verb
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It’s not meant to help members wage wars of choice, but to deter and repel aggressors by stipulating that an attack on one ally is an attack on all.—
Andreas Kluth,
Twin Cities,
14 Apr. 2026
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One natural option is eucalyptus, which can help repel pests in your home.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Neighbors in Hollywood's North Lake neighborhood lost their fight to prevent a new apartment building from being constructed, after the City Commission approved the four-story, 22-unit building at North 16th Avenue and Shenandoah Street.—
Ted Scouten,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
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Cities in California and Washington state similarly passed laws to prevent businesses from refusing cash as a form of payment, McClatchy Media said.—
Hali Smith
April 15,
Idaho Statesman,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Eventually, people could not resist returning to their lives, to routines more comfortable than standing in the streets with the sun glaring in your eyes, squinting up to check the position of snipers on a roof, or working with cramping fingers sewing your tenth mask of the night.—
Hanif Abdurraqib,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
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Brown was issued a desk appearance ticket by cops for resisting arrest and obstruction of government administration, officials said.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Three Mile Island meltdown averted by technology developed at Jamestown.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
17 Apr. 2026
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On Friday afternoon, the workers’ union, Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union, and the Realty Advisory Board on Labor Relations, which represents NYC apartment-building owners, reached an agreement that would avert a strike before the April 20 deadline.—
Anne Kadet,
Curbed,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Two of the oil-carrying ships turned back in the first two hours after the blockade went into effect Monday morning.—
Gordon Lubold,
NBC news,
14 Apr. 2026
-
At least two vessels that had appeared to be heading for the exit turned back.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Like, to have Hughie kick A-Train’s head off would’ve been nuts.—
Derek Lawrence,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2026
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The dramatic shift in tenor came as intermediaries led by Pakistan worked feverishly to head off a further escalation.—
Aamer Madhani,
Fortune,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Faculty shortages at nursing schools have forced programs to turn away tens of thousands of qualified applicants each year.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
13 Apr. 2026
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More and more, celebrities have been turning away from the maximal, festival-ready looks of yore (the mid ’10s) in favor of more minimalist looks, or, choosing to focus on one singular statement vintage piece to pull their outfit together.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In the mid-19th century, Kasanje was able to repulse a Portuguese military expedition.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
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Sigmund Freud believed that every crush has a strand of disgust, that people are attracted to what repulses them.—
Daniel Felsenthal,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stave off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stave%20off. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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