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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
  • 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
  • Celery, thyme, marigold, and chamomile can help mask the smell of cabbage plants, while borage repels the moths.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 27 July 2026
Definition of repels
Verb
  • Israel still prevents the entry of the Palestinian committee chosen by the Board of Peace to eventually govern the strip, saying Hamas must first disarm.
    — Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • At the same time, that also prevents us from becoming too invested in the fates of people who seem to be dying for our viewing pleasure — and sometimes one another’s.
    — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 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
  • That’s an attitude that Paulo Herkenhoff, a septuagenarian art curator, resists.
    — Constance Malleret, Christian Science Monitor, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The actor resists framing her character as either predator or victim.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of resists

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staves off
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Cite this Entry

“Staves off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/staves%20off. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

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