staved off

verb

past tense of stave off
1
as in repulsed
to drive back managed to stave off the invaders

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

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 staved off Brownsville residents already staved off efforts by Hialeah to annex part of the neighborhood into the city back in 2023 – an effort Pinkney fought furiously against. — Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026 Jordan also staved off Iranian missiles, according to its state media. — Npr Staff, NPR, 17 July 2026 An infusion of new funds approved by Congress this year and a waiver of eligibility procedures have staved off a potential crisis that would have left 4,200 back on the street. — Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026 The better ballclubs pull out of slumps before the Padres finally did so Sunday, pulling off a 5-2 road victory against the Dodgers that staved off a four-game sweep and halted an eight-game skid. — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 July 2026 During his tenure Thomas also successfully staved off a hostile takeover. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 June 2026 By comparison, in 2022, Republicans picked up a handful of seats and narrowly won control of the House, and although Democrats staved off a large-scale GOP wave, Latino voters trended away from Democrats that year. — Anne Bryson, CBS News, 24 June 2026 Some factors — that crime has hit historic lows as Tisch has headed the department and Mamdani’s relative lack of action in the police department — have staved off criticism from moderates. — Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 15 June 2026 That spending staved off a recession at the cost of overheating the economy, contributing to the inflation that still plagues Americans. — Matt Peterson, CNBC, 27 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for staved off
  1. repulsed
  2. prevented
  3. turned back
  4. averted
  5. turned away
  6. repelled
  7. resisted
Verb
  • Most Americans are repulsed by the core ideas of radical leftists.
    — Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Philly may be shedding its second-fiddle status, but it remains entirely repulsed by frauds and underachievers.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
Definition of repulsed
Verb
  • The move prevented the federal district court from making its own interim appointment, who would have been able to serve until a new candidate was presidentially appointed and confirmed by the Senate.
    — Callum Sutherland, Time, 18 Aug. 2026
  • In this new threat landscape, biological attacks are unlikely to be prevented entirely, given the proliferation of biological capabilities and the fact that some actors cannot be deterred by traditional means.
    — Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of prevented
Verb
  • The fire turned back into California late Thursday morning, burning in Lassen County just above the Sierra County line, fire maps showed.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Eventually, Guccione turned back on his stadium microphone and announced the run would count, leading to further boos.
    — Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of turned back
Verb
  • The call that might have averted disaster came into William Mulholland’s office that morning.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The studies, and lack of follow-through, raise the issue about what could have averted the still-climbing death toll, and what steps need to be taken to prepare for an inevitable next earthquake.
    — Syra Ortiz-Blanes, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
Definition of averted
Verb
  • Hugo Lloris turned away one shot for LAFC (10-6-4), which had piled up 11 goals in its previous four matches.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Your building staff has been instructed to refuse entry to City inspectors sent to investigate these complaints, as we are constantly turned away.
    — Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of turned away
Verb
  • The narrator, though curious to speak herself, is finally repelled.
    — Maya Binyam, New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The buildings —critical to the AI boom driving intense investment — have repelled voters due to their massive energy and water demand.
    — Garrett Downs, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of repelled
Verb
  • Habib, who joined the department in 2007, was responding to a 911 call at a Bronx catering hall in 2023 when a drunk and disorderly man resisted arrest, Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • When automobiles first came about, the island’s carriage drivers successfully resisted them.
    — Hannah Agran, Midwest Living, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of resisted

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Cite this Entry

“Staved off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/staved%20off. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of staved off for Spanish Speakers

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