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
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
The longer the inevitable was staved off, the harsher the eventual adjustment.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 26 Oct. 2025
For years, the county's transit system has been hurtling toward a fiscal cliff, staved off by federal pandemic aid and an increase in tax levy support.
—Vanessa Swales, jsonline.com, 17 Oct. 2025
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
The longer the inevitable was staved off, the harsher the eventual adjustment.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 26 Oct. 2025
For years, the county's transit system has been hurtling toward a fiscal cliff, staved off by federal pandemic aid and an increase in tax levy support.
—Vanessa Swales, jsonline.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for staved off
Verb
-
And Republicans are among those repulsed by the ongoing scandals.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2026
-
That effort quickly repulsed decent Americans.—
Chris Brennan,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Whether Musero can cite examples of work he was denied, prevented from going for or more in damages at said trial is a whole other matter.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
10 Mar. 2026
-
On top of the internet, the 2010s had a city ordinance that prevented newsstands from selling food and drinks, which Da Costa notes was an important source of side income for many.—
Jason LeCras,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
And oil wells and refineries can’t be turned back on overnight.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
-
But the tides have turned back in Mar’s favor.—
Siobhan Reid,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
San Diego Unified School District recently averted a one-day strike after reaching a tentative agreement with its teachers.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Today’s parents grew up in a world where vaccines averted preventable diseases, or at least lessened the toll of those illnesses if infection occurred.—
Helen Branswell,
STAT,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The patents were similarly denied and the Supreme Court turned away Thaler’s attempt to appeal a lower court’s ruling on the matter in 2023.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The officer said he was turned away because the facility falls under the state’s jurisdiction, not the tribe’s.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Qatar’s Defense Ministry said a ballistic missile attack had been repelled, while sirens sounded in Bahrain but there were no reports of impact.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Wasps are naturally repelled by peppermint, clove, geranium, and lemongrass essential oils.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The suspect resisted and threatened officers, who made the arrest and booked him into the main jail.—
Anne Gelhaus,
Mercury News,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Officers caught up to the suspect, who allegedly resisted arrest but was eventually placed in handcuffs.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Staved off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/staved%20off. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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