1
as in repels
to drive back
managed to stave off the invaders
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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.
—Angela Hart, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025
Frequent tennis play improves bone density, which staves off fractures and osteoporosis.
—Alexandra Moe, The Atlantic, 24 Aug. 2025
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
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.
—Angela Hart, Fortune, 5 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
Verb
-
The strong aroma of onions repels many garden pests and can keep deer and rabbits from nibbling on your bell peppers.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 May 2026
-
Sage can be a real asset in the garden that repels pests from other plants and attracts pollinators with its flowers.—
Lauren Landers,
The Spruce,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
Gender distress plays a more pronounced role in the film later on, as two crucial scenes frame it as the insurmountable obstacle that prevents the entity’s targets from returning to a version of their previous lives.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
18 May 2026
-
This natural state of paralysis prevents the body from physically acting out dreams, which could otherwise lead to injury, Drerup explained.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Get it before this deal turns away from your doorstep.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
23 Apr. 2026
-
More chatting, the camera turns away to shoot some B-roll.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
For now and unless Williams changes his mind again, the move averts a potential historic litigation where Washington planned to sue Williams over his plan to switch schools.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The Corps project averts potential catastrophic flooding that could lay siege to about 475,000 residents, California and the nation, according to the government’s court documents.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
8 Nov. 2025
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
Verb
-
Clayton Valley bounces back to beat Campolindo, Sacred Heart Prep shuts out San Mateo again, Gunderson turns back Del Mar.—
Darren Sabedra,
Mercury News,
1 May 2026
-
Woods turns back a surprising challenge Chris DiMarco with a 15-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole to capture his fourth green jacket.—
Senior Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Trump demonizes immigrants and has launched a sweeping mass-deportation campaign that was cheered by the far right across Europe; Sánchez resists such nativism, and his government is in the midst of a program to give legal status to some half a million undocumented migrants living in Spain.—
Ishaan Tharoor,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
-
Asked what matters most in shaping long-term leadership impact, Molinaroli resists simplification.—
Ascend Agency,
Chicago Tribune,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Staves off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/staves%20off. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
