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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
Health policy researchers and economists say providing Medicaid coverage to immigrants for preventive services and treatment of chronic health conditions staves off more costly care for patients down the road.
—
Angela Hart, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025
And no longevity-claiming therapy is considered fruitful without sound research that confirms efficacy after following a diverse cohort of humans for decades to see if the therapy is associated with extended life or staving off chronic disease.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 5 Sep. 2025
Osaka saved one, bouncing on her feet to stave off the next.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
Bennett won the primary in March 2020, but did not receive enough of the vote to stave off a runoff, and Cawthorn surpassed Bennett in that runoff.
—Danielle Battaglia, Charlotte Observer, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stave off
Angela Hart, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025
And no longevity-claiming therapy is considered fruitful without sound research that confirms efficacy after following a diverse cohort of humans for decades to see if the therapy is associated with extended life or staving off chronic disease.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 5 Sep. 2025
Osaka saved one, bouncing on her feet to stave off the next.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
Bennett won the primary in March 2020, but did not receive enough of the vote to stave off a runoff, and Cawthorn surpassed Bennett in that runoff.
—Danielle Battaglia, Charlotte Observer, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stave off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stave off
Verb
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Your LinkedIn profile transformation starts now Your profile is either attracting dream clients or repelling them.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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Your attitude can repel your crush!—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Riley Gaines has lobbied for bills in several states that would prevent biological males who identify as women from competing in women’s sports.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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Your feet are sandwiched between pillowy soles and a breathable mesh upper that keeps the air flowing to prevent sweating and blisters.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Cook, who remains at the Federal Reserve, has sued the president to resist her dismissal.—
Chris Prentice,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
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Other times, long rates resist or even rise, flattening the curve and blunting the Fed’s impact.—
Robert Daugherty,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Deliberately, l avert my gaze as thick woody fingers interlace like calloused hands in prayer.—
Manuel Muñoz,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
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The two sides reached terms on a renewal after a short-term extension to their previous pact, averting a blackout of Fox News and other nets on YouTube TV.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Later in the season, as more northern waters cool off and the main hurricane development region stays toasty, the instability dial could be turned back up.—
Alex Harris,
Miami Herald,
11 Sep. 2025
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Clayton Kershaw has turned back the clock.—
The Athletic MLB Staff,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Pegula then broke again to cap a four-game run that wrapped up the set and, this time, Sabalenka quickly retrieved her bag and headed off to the locker room.—
Howard Fendrich,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
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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
Verb
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Our right-wing Christians are fighting to turn away the most desperate foreign refugees, all while worshiping Jesus, who was once a foreign refugee.—
John Fugelsang
September 12,
Literary Hub,
12 Sep. 2025
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And did a focus on militant Islamism mean turning away from threats posed by white supremacist groups?—
September 11,
NPR,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Like Einstein, Brassard feels repulsed by the way the particles in the Bell experiment seem to have firsthand awareness of each other despite being separated by, in principle, light-years of space.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
8 Aug. 2025
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This is something that finally repulses Ivor, and that Orla also grapples with.—
Deborah Treisman,
New Yorker,
27 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stave off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stave%20off. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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