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 Those impulses may have been shaped not by paranoia, but by evolution, as a way of staving off sickness in an uncertain world. — Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 23 Oct. 2026 But in August, Mangione confessed to the killing and pleaded guilty to two stalking charges, staving off the federal trial. — Kara Scannell, CNN Money, 9 Oct. 2026 Florian Wirtz starred as Germany defeated Serbia 2-0 in Munich for Klopp’s first win at the third attempt — staving off an unwanted record. — ABC News, 1 Oct. 2026 Healthy digestion and a healthy gut play a role in staving off inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). — Vanessa Caceres, Verywell Health, 23 Sep. 2026 They are banged up, which makes clinching the division and staving off the Atlanta Braves for a first-round bye paramount over the season’s final 12 games. — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 Saudi Arabia agreed not to retaliate militarily against targets on Iraqi soil, temporarily staving off a regional conflagration. — Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026 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 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
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
  • However, investors on Tuesday are turning back to semiconductors and power, electrical equipment, and liquid cooling providers like Eaton , which posted strong quarterly results and raised its full-year outlook.
    — Jeff Marks, CNBC, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Tide turns back to franchises Then the tide started turning back toward familiar waters.
    — Andrew McGowan, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of turning back
Verb
  • What the experts say Deputies and firefighters blocked off large swaths of Military Trail between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue, preventing some residents from accessing their nearby homes and cars.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 2 Nov. 2026
  • There are no state regulations preventing voters from bringing their kids and a furry companion along for the wait.
    — Hali Smith, Idaho Statesman, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of preventing
Verb
  • In July 2026, accounts from prospective commercial customers and satellite operators revealed that SpaceX had begun turning away Falcon 9 customers to focus its resources on the more capable Starship rocket.
    — Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti, The Conversation, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The party’s pro-Israel hawks say that turning away from Israel is out of step with the electorate.
    — Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of turning away
Verb
  • For the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner, speaking up is not just about averting disorder, but about establishing a different civic order.
    — the Monitor's Editorial Board, Christian Science Monitor, 26 Oct. 2026
  • While people in Israel are praising the passengers and the captain as heroes for averting disaster, a broader debate is emerging over government failures that allowed something like this to happen, Lonsdorf says.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of averting
Verb
  • This ruling could become valuable precedent for the NCAA in repelling eligibility lawsuits.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The patent-pending fabric technology delivers the comfort and insulation of traditional sherpa while actively repelling hay, straw, mulch and grass from clinging to the high-pile fleece.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of repelling
Verb
  • More recently, they were photographed leaving a Los Angeles recording studio together, Johnson in her usual uniform of straight-leg jeans, ballet flats, and a long leather coat, before heading off in Kelly’s red sports car.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Stern invited me to tour its offices and factory floor before heading off to the convention in nearby Schaumburg, Illinois.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of heading off
Verb
  • Police said he is wanted on a felony arrest warrant charging him with resisting police, disarming a police officer, escape from custody, and operating a vehicle as a habitual traffic violator.
    — Todd Feurer, CBS News, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Rajiv had pointed out the different colors of the water, the mood of the two rivers, one almost resisting merging with the other.
    — Sonia Gandhi, Vanity Fair, 10 Nov. 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

Browse Nearby Words

staves off
staving off
stay
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Cite this Entry

“Staving off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/staving%20off. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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