staving off

verb

present participle of stave off
1
as in turning back
to drive back managed to stave off the invaders

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in preventing
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 staving off The question of whether to allow recording devices to make official legal transcripts has long been debated in California, where organizations representing court reporters have succeeded in staving off such changes. — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 11 Aug. 2026 The summer of 2025 was consumed by Newcastle (unsuccessfully) staving off interest in Alexander Isak. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026 The Kansas City City Council approved a trio of ordinances on Thursday aimed at vacant properties that become nuisances and staving off demolition of historic buildings. — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026 Of course, creating a culture of openness and respectful debate requires more than staving off government interference. — Annabelle Garland, The Atlantic, 23 July 2026 This latest heist recalls the brazen, daytime Louvre theft of France’s Crown Jewels in October, which, despite putting the country’s museums on relatively higher alert, does not appear to be staving off a spate of recent thefts. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 6 July 2026 Therefore, building mental endurance is essential to staving off decision fatigue and reducing the judgment errors that tend to surface when a leader's cognitive reserves run low. — Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes.com, 24 June 2026 But in the group stage of the competition, Gollner says awarding a point for a tie acknowledges the effort inherent in staving off defeat. — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 24 June 2026 Pavers or concrete designed to mimic natural stone slabs visually break up the surface, staving off parking lot connotations. — Marisa Suzanne Martin, The Spruce, 21 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for staving off
  1. turning back
  2. preventing
  3. turning away
  4. averting
  5. repelling
  6. heading off
  7. resisting
  8. repulsing
Verb
  • The mansion was damaged during a Los Angeles-area coastal flooding advisory over lingering effects of Marie, which had been a hurricane before turning back into a tropical storm.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026
  • While her music has remained a fixture on country charts, the latest results show listeners are turning back to her catalog across formats and generations following her death.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of turning back
Verb
  • The coalition struck the runway in Sanaa, preventing the flight from landing.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026
  • There were no provisions preventing him from seeking employment outside the state.
    — Austin Meek, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of preventing
Verb
  • This is not true; no technology or social evolution is inevitable, and even some young people are already turning away from them.
    — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Almost half of traders, portfolio managers and strategists in a recent Bloomberg poll support wearing shorts to work, but men in Silicon Valley are turning away from the look of the scruffy tech genius in shorts and flip-flops.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of turning away
Verb
  • The settlement was reached during a California federal trial over claims brought by 29 states, averting one of the highest-profile tests yet of allegations that social media companies harmed young users.
    — Diana Novak Jones, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Legislature passes bill aimed at averting Milwaukee financial crisis, lifting aid to local governments.
    — Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of averting
Verb
  • Most claims about cornstarch in gardening, such as repelling ants or boosting water retention, lack scientific evidence.
    — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Eucalyptus Oil Eucalyptus oil works similarly to peppermint oil in repelling mice.
    — Emily Benda Gaylord, The Spruce, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of repelling
Verb
  • The state is the oldest in the country by the average age of its residents, with the youth heading off to cities or the West.
    — Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Sep. 2026
  • He was dedicated to the sport and competed regionally and locally in the Midwest, winning competitions before heading off to college.
    — Marissa Sulek, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of heading off
Verb
  • Imagine trying not to blink, resisting the urge to sneeze or refusing to scratch an intense itch.
    — Michael Okun, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The man is being held at the Chippewa County Jail and has been charged with operating under the influence of drugs, resisting and obstructing a police officer, assaulting a police officer and malicious destruction of police property.
    — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of resisting
Verb
  • While there are dismemberments and other bits of gruesome violence to be found in the film, Badlands is largely aimed at endearing its audience rather than repulsing them.
    — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 4 Nov. 2025
Definition of repulsing

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staves off
staving off
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Cite this Entry

“Staving off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/staving%20off. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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