1
as in repulsed
to drive back
managed to stave off the invaders
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in prevented
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 staved off
The one-time All-Star also hit a walk-off double in the bottom of the 13th inning against the Chicago Cubs in the ’16 NLDS, ensuring the Giants staved off elimination down 2-0.
—
Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2026
But the Rams staved off the running clock with reserve Jordan Houston draining a 3-point shot and another basket.
—Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2026
But the penalty kill, led by goalie Matt Wright (12 saves), staved off the first to get back to one-man down, and Ryan scooped a loose puck from the neutral zone for a drive to the net.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 8 Mar. 2026
The University of Miami women’s basketball team, back in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament after missing out last season, staved off a furious comeback by Stanford to win the opening game 83-76 in overtime on Wednesday.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2026
Khamenei staved off that adjustment for nearly four decades through force of will, brutality, and the conviction that bending would mean breaking.
—Karim Sadjadpour, The Atlantic, 28 Feb. 2026
After the 2024 season, Payton staved off competition for Webb by giving him a passing game coordinator title and a raise.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 24 Feb. 2026
Residents have also staved off the arrival of data centers and a solar farm.
—Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026
Curl’s interception staved off a threat, sending the crowd into silence.
—Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2026
Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2026
But the Rams staved off the running clock with reserve Jordan Houston draining a 3-point shot and another basket.
—Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2026
But the penalty kill, led by goalie Matt Wright (12 saves), staved off the first to get back to one-man down, and Ryan scooped a loose puck from the neutral zone for a drive to the net.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 8 Mar. 2026
The University of Miami women’s basketball team, back in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament after missing out last season, staved off a furious comeback by Stanford to win the opening game 83-76 in overtime on Wednesday.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2026
Khamenei staved off that adjustment for nearly four decades through force of will, brutality, and the conviction that bending would mean breaking.
—Karim Sadjadpour, The Atlantic, 28 Feb. 2026
After the 2024 season, Payton staved off competition for Webb by giving him a passing game coordinator title and a raise.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 24 Feb. 2026
Residents have also staved off the arrival of data centers and a solar farm.
—Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026
Curl’s interception staved off a threat, sending the crowd into silence.
—Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for staved off
Verb
-
Cilantro, a polarizing herb that’s either adored in Mexican, Southeast Asian, and Indian cuisines, or repulsed by those who detect a nauseating soapy taste.—
Catharine Kaufman,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Nick is hired by a mafia don to confirm and then steal a priceless manuscript said to be Dante’s original Divine Comedy in his own hand, dragging Nick into an underworld he’s both repulsed by and complicit in.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Analysts say the move does not lift broader sanctions but is designed to remove practical barriers that had prevented Venezuelan diplomatic facilities from operating, signaling a willingness by Washington to restore a functional diplomatic presence as talks advance.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Colorado troops fought for the Union Army in several battles that prevented Confederate forces from taking over western gold fields.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Bernhard’s barely contained incestuous desires (The Loser is only one of a suite of works about brother-sister love and hate, alongside Correction, The Lime Works, and Concrete) are the product of individual psychologies run amok and turned back on themselves, the offshoots of artistic monomania.—
Christine Smallwood,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Al Otro Lado, HIAS and other groups who provided assistance to the asylum seekers who were turned back at the border argued this case is about much more than the narrow legal definition of a few words.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Like in the Rangers’ final exhibition game Tuesday, when a Jack Leiter pitch was reversed from a ball to a strike, meaning a walk became a strikeout and a potential unraveling was thus averted.—
Kevin Sherrington
Mar. 25,
Dallas Morning News,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Those federal funds averted over 12,000 evictions in Milwaukee.—
Gina Lee Castro,
jsonline.com,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Whether the tanker is allowed to dock, turned away or intercepted at sea could shape not only Cuba’s immediate energy outlook, but also the broader balance of power playing out across the region.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Frankel turned away all 21 shots in goal for the Fleet (10-5-2-4) in her seventh career shutout.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
If critics and cinephiles were split on, even largely repelled by, The Sphere’s digital addition of new Oz performances and visuals, the general public embraced an immersive, eventized version of the classic movie.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Mar. 2026
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The attack took place less than 24 hours after the Nigerian military repelled attacks by militants on the outskirts of Maiduguri, in what some residents say could have been planned as a distraction.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
When these middlemen resisted British pressure, Britain protected its commercial interests mercilessly and violently.—
Noo Saro-Wiwa,
The Dial,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Her aunt had resisted leaving the capital for two weeks, but was finally convinced to evacuate.—
Jason Rezaian,
New Yorker,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Staved off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/staved%20off. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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