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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 Sleep, for instance, isn’t downtime but active maintenance, when the brain flushes out cellular waste in ways that may help stave off dementia. — Andrea Gawrylewski, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2026 This is the best way to stave off the oil buildup that causes yellowing on your pillowcases. — Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 30 Aug. 2026 The sales tax measure was placed on the ballot earlier this year to help stave off cuts to the region’s struggling public transit agencies that have yet to see ridership levels return to pre-pandemic levels. — Grace Hase, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2026 Because Democrats have spent the past 15 years desperately trying to stave off conservative legislation, the party has had little room for internecine warfare. — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 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
  • In April 2025, North Korea and Russia confirmed that their soldiers fought together to repel a Ukraine incursion into Russia’s Kursk border region.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The York features espresso feet and comes upholstered in the retailer’s contract-grade Performance Everyday Velvet, which promises to repel liquids and resist abrasions of daily life.
    — Maria Conti, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of repel
Verb
  • The strike prevented an Iranian flight carrying a Houthi delegation from landing.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Fire grows after manhunt keeps crews out The Mineral Fire grew to 18 acres by Monday morning after the armed manhunt prevented firefighters from attacking it for hours.
    — Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of prevent
Verb
  • The actor resists framing her character as either predator or victim.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026
  • In fairness, the compulsion to go full-on Chicken Little is hard to resist.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of resist
Verb
  • Eager to avert hefty fee The antitrust trial was to start in March.
    — David Folkenflik, NPR, 21 Sep. 2026
  • At every save point, the game forces James to stare at his reflection, and after the story’s plot twist, James averts his eyes, unable to face his own guilt.
    — Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of avert
Verb
  • States and conservation groups have filed numerous lawsuits seeking to turn back the changes.
    — Matthew Brown, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Reinhart’s vintage Elie Saab moment comes at a time when several high-profile stars are turning back the clock and looking to the runway from the early aughts and ’90s for their red carpet and project promotional tour stints.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of turn back
Verb
  • Most gambling sites, including FanDuel and Kalshi, offer tools to head off trouble, such as budgeting features, voluntary account suspensions and programs that flag changes in behavior.
    — Dan Horn, Cincinnati Enquirer, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The actor did recently post on Instagram that his older son, Orion, is heading off to college.
    — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of head off
Verb
  • Despite the financial pressures, Velez emphasized that Feeding South Florida is not turning away anyone who needs food assistance.
    — Manuel Bojorquez, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • As a child in the 1960s, Allie Zemtseff saw how her mother, a Black woman, was turned away by landlords while apartment hunting in white neighborhoods.
    — Adrian Florido, NPR, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of turn away
Verb
  • Young people just aren’t interested, partly because they’re repulsed by bodily fluids.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
  • His recent comments didn’t favor the Browns fanbase, and many Cleveland fans seem viscerally repulsed by him.
    — Andy Behrens, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of repulse

Browse Nearby Words

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 26 Sep. 2026.

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