staves off

verb

present tense third-person singular of stave off
1
as in repels
to drive back managed to stave off the invaders

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in prevents
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 staves off Made with Asics’ special ‘Puregel’ technology, the shoe has a cushy feel and shock absorption that staves off foot pain. — Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 11 May 2026 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. — Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2025 Frequent tennis play improves bone density, which staves off fractures and osteoporosis. — Alexandra Moe, The Atlantic, 24 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for staves off
  1. repels
  2. prevents
  3. turns away
  4. averts
  5. repulses
  6. turns back
  7. resists
Verb
  • This natural pest control spray keeps roaches, stink bugs, spiders, ants, centipedes, crickets, and tons of other bugs away thanks to its strong scent that repels them without harsh chemicals.
    — Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Spray the areas around your home where wasps have gathered in the past with peppermint essential oil spray, which Wong says overwhelms their sensory receptors and naturally repels them.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of repels
Verb
  • Justices Elena Kagan, Ketanji Brown Jackson, and Sonia Sotomayor dissented, arguing that allowing the case to move forward prevents the lower court from considering Pike’s allegations from her childhood.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Newsom signed a similar bill that prevents federal agents from becoming police in California if their federal badge was revoked for misconduct.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of prevents
Verb
  • The insect naturally turns away when an antenna touches an obstacle.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 July 2026
  • The bear, seemingly frightened, quickly turns away from the boy and continues running, sliding under a boat parked in the driveway.
    — Mason Leib, ABC News, 7 July 2026
Definition of turns away
Verb
  • 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
  • The author's experience shows caution, though slower, averts problems, contrasting with industry's rapid deployments that often encounter issues.
    — Shannon McKeen, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
Definition of averts
Verb
  • Sigmund Freud believed that every crush has a strand of disgust, that people are attracted to what repulses them.
    — Daniel Felsenthal, Vulture, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Charlie, though, is trying to keep them out of a country that thoroughly repulses him.
    — Alexander Nazaryan, New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of repulses
Verb
  • Those talks have since stalled as Tehran focuses on negotiating the future of the Strait of Hormuz and Washington turns back to diplomacy.
    — Leila Gharagozlou, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The opening holes may not immediately reveal what awaits, but that changes quickly as the course turns back on itself and descends into a stunning, secluded valley that eventually opens toward the coastline.
    — Jeff Goudy, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of turns back
Verb
  • Unlike Paris or New York, which are exhibitionists and appreciate a certain voyeur, Milan, as Porter implied, resists a single definition.
    — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 26 Sep. 2026
  • That’s an attitude that Paulo Herkenhoff, a septuagenarian art curator, resists.
    — Constance Malleret, Christian Science Monitor, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of resists

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Cite this Entry

“Staves off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/staves%20off. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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