stave off
verb
staved off; staving off; staves off
1
: to fend off
staving off creditors
2
: to ward off (something adverse) : forestall
trying to stave off disaster
Synonyms
Examples of stave off in a Sentence
managed to stave off the invaders
the quartermaster staved off a shortage by requisitioning more than enough supplies
Recent Examples on the Web
Only a few trucks have entered Gaza from a northern border crossing, far short of the amount needed to stave off hunger and starvation, according to aid groups.
—
Vincent Ni, NPR, 11 May 2024
Image While aid deliveries rose in April and the first days of May, before the Rafah operation, aid groups said Israel was not allowing nearly enough into Gaza to stave off famine or the collapse of the health care and sanitation systems.
—Raja Abdulrahim, New York Times, 10 May 2024
The state could also stave off deep cuts by raising more revenue.
—Andrew Sheeler, Sacramento Bee, 9 May 2024
Advertisement The rejection of societal norms comes at an inopportune time for the Communist Party, which is struggling to stave off a demographic crisis in which there aren’t enough young people to support the elderly.
—Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2024
The night’s sartorial theme gets its name from a J.G. Ballard story about a count who—to stave off an angry mob nearing his castle—cuts a rose from his garden to slow down time until there are no flowers remaining.
—Vogue, 7 May 2024
Boston had to stave off Toronto’s efforts to mount a comeback from down 3-1 in the first-round series.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 5 May 2024
By keeping more of the skin connected to the deeper tissues, Dr. Nayak says, surgeons can stave off many of the issues associated with larger skin flaps, including bleeding and assorted post-op problems like bruising, swelling, and delayed healing.
—Jolene Edgar, Allure, 1 May 2024
Getting adequate protein can help stave off hunger after meals, reducing the tendency to snack.
—Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 24 Apr. 2024
Vincent Ni, NPR, 11 May 2024
Image While aid deliveries rose in April and the first days of May, before the Rafah operation, aid groups said Israel was not allowing nearly enough into Gaza to stave off famine or the collapse of the health care and sanitation systems.
—Raja Abdulrahim, New York Times, 10 May 2024
The state could also stave off deep cuts by raising more revenue.
—Andrew Sheeler, Sacramento Bee, 9 May 2024
Advertisement The rejection of societal norms comes at an inopportune time for the Communist Party, which is struggling to stave off a demographic crisis in which there aren’t enough young people to support the elderly.
—Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2024
The night’s sartorial theme gets its name from a J.G. Ballard story about a count who—to stave off an angry mob nearing his castle—cuts a rose from his garden to slow down time until there are no flowers remaining.
—Vogue, 7 May 2024
Boston had to stave off Toronto’s efforts to mount a comeback from down 3-1 in the first-round series.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 5 May 2024
By keeping more of the skin connected to the deeper tissues, Dr. Nayak says, surgeons can stave off many of the issues associated with larger skin flaps, including bleeding and assorted post-op problems like bruising, swelling, and delayed healing.
—Jolene Edgar, Allure, 1 May 2024
Getting adequate protein can help stave off hunger after meals, reducing the tendency to snack.
—Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 24 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stave off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near stave off
Cite this Entry
“Stave off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stave%20off. Accessed 15 May. 2024.
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