1
as in turning back
to drive back
managed to stave off the invaders
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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Recent Examples of staving off
But when cold weather rushes in, a good eye mask becomes essential for staving off dark circles, dry skin, and the puffiness that follows a late night of caviar, blinis, and martinis (‘tis the season to indulge, after all).
—
Jenny Berg, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2025
The two must figure out how to cultivate their blossoming relationship while staving off the suspicions of a jealous colleague.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2025
The language used by American fans towards European players at Bethpage Black became a flashpoint during last weekend’s tournament, which Europe won 15-13 after staving off a dramatic US fightback on Sunday.
—George Ramsay, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
His being here—scraping, sanding, painting, sitting across the table from us for dinner most nights—had been one of the joys of the past few weeks, a way of staving off the tension of moving and the sameness of the routine with the kids and the meals and the bedtime stories and all the rest.
—T. Coraghessan Boyle, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2025
And no longevity-claiming therapy is considered fruitful without sound research that confirms efficacy after following a diverse cohort of humans for decades to see if the therapy is associated with extended life or staving off chronic disease.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 5 Sep. 2025
Mexico's move is intended to protect its domestic producers from these latest tariffs while preserving internal supplies and staving off downward price pressures.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Aug. 2025
The film depicts a world where the Four are something like the Beatles, the Kennedys, the Curies, and the Brady Bunch all in one, a globe-bestriding celebrity family responsible for staving off supernatural threats and, seemingly, establishing world peace.
—Derek Robertson, The Washington Examiner, 8 Aug. 2025
Jenny Berg, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2025
The two must figure out how to cultivate their blossoming relationship while staving off the suspicions of a jealous colleague.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2025
The language used by American fans towards European players at Bethpage Black became a flashpoint during last weekend’s tournament, which Europe won 15-13 after staving off a dramatic US fightback on Sunday.
—George Ramsay, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
His being here—scraping, sanding, painting, sitting across the table from us for dinner most nights—had been one of the joys of the past few weeks, a way of staving off the tension of moving and the sameness of the routine with the kids and the meals and the bedtime stories and all the rest.
—T. Coraghessan Boyle, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2025
And no longevity-claiming therapy is considered fruitful without sound research that confirms efficacy after following a diverse cohort of humans for decades to see if the therapy is associated with extended life or staving off chronic disease.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 5 Sep. 2025
Mexico's move is intended to protect its domestic producers from these latest tariffs while preserving internal supplies and staving off downward price pressures.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Aug. 2025
The film depicts a world where the Four are something like the Beatles, the Kennedys, the Curies, and the Brady Bunch all in one, a globe-bestriding celebrity family responsible for staving off supernatural threats and, seemingly, establishing world peace.
—Derek Robertson, The Washington Examiner, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for staving off
Verb
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When Genevieve’s physics experiment at the 1934 Chicago World’s Fair goes explosively wrong, Ash jumps in to save the day, turning back time by a few minutes to prevent disaster.—
Caroline Carlson,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
-
When the bags are on the heads, there is no turning back.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Heat, which was out-rebounded 61-38 in Wednesday’s loss in Denver, has had particular difficulty preventing teams from rebounding their own miss.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Eat a Nutritious Diet Eating a nutritious diet that supports your brain’s health is also key to preventing cognitive decline.—
Jocelyn Solis-Moreira,
Flow Space,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Of course young voters are turning away from the president.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
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Bradley cited the classic work of sociology, Robert Putnam’s Bowling Alone, with the memorable thesis that Americans were turning away from community.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Broadway musicians have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract, averting the possibility of a strike.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
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Since then, a nonprofit called Mirror Biology Dialogues Fund has sponsored a series of meetings to develop recommendations aimed at averting the threat scientists think mirror life could pose.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Ukrainian General Staff said the military was repelling attacks in the Kupyansk area, and that two settlements north of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region had been retaken over the past several days.—
Boston Herald Wire Services,
Boston Herald,
27 Oct. 2025
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These fabrics are known for repelling dust mites, mold, mildew, and other allergens much more effectively than traditional down.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Couples who choose to sleep apart can still nurture connection and intimacy by sharing an evening wind-down routine before heading off to separate sleeping arrangements, Troxel suggested.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
29 Oct. 2025
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Most recently, Alverson has also dipped his toe into advising sorority hopefuls as a rush coach — part of an emerging market for girls looking to polish up their image before heading off to college.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Martinez and Ruiz were present in court Wednesday and both have entered not guilty pleas to a federal charge of assaulting, resisting or impeding federal officers.—
Omar Jimenez,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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Dunn is charged with assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating and interfering with a federal officer.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Staving off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/staving%20off. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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