stave off

verb

Definition of stave offnext
1
as in to repel
to drive back managed to stave off the invaders

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to prevent
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 stave off Because Democrats have spent the past 15 years desperately trying to stave off conservative legislation, the party has had little room for internecine warfare. — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026 Even the 2025 Tigers, the team that staved off a monumental late-season collapse, lives on as a fable highlighting the importance of playing the whole schedule. — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 Nonetheless, Friend said Nike was going to reduce sell-in to wholesale partners in the coming months to stave off future discounting. — Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 25 Aug. 2026 After multiple attempts to stave off its death over the decades, it is being choked by the chains and cables meant to support it. — ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stave off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stave off
  1. repel
  2. prevent
  3. resist
  4. avert
  5. turn back
  6. head off
  7. turn away
  8. repulse
Verb
  • Reseeding helps block weed growth, repel lawn diseases, slow soil erosion, and strengthen growth in bare patches.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 29 Aug. 2026
  • As mentioned above, Turkey’s deployment of TB2s in the country’s civil war in 2020 proved decisive, with these drones helping break the LNA’s siege on Tripoli and empowering GNA ground forces to repel Haftar’s fighters.
    — Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of repel
Verb
  • Gen 4 is also designed to add an Active Safety Mechanism intended to prevent thermal runaway by stabilizing electrode active materials at high temperatures.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The international treaty prevents countries from sending people to nations where they could be harmed.
    — Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of prevent
Verb
  • He was arrested and will be booked on felony evading, hit-and-run and felony resisting arrest, police said.
    — Tania Azhang, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The fungus can spread between patients and resist some antifungal treatments.
    — Katia Riddle, NPR, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of resist
Verb
  • To avert future calamities, the forest outside Bordeaux must be thinned and its fire breaks widened, said Arthur Guérin-Turcq, a Sorbonne University geographer whose family cultivates pines near Le Porge.
    — Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of avert
Verb
  • The 42-year-old turned back the clock Sunday, with 10 strikeouts in seven scoreless innings against the Seattle Mariners.
    — Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • At 47, there is room for this stock to turn back up without fighting an overbought reading.
    — Josh Brown,Sean Russo, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of turn back
Verb
  • From there, Adenot headed off to continue an ongoing scientific study by swabbing areas on the exterior of the airlock and her gloves for possible microorganisms.
    — Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • In France, for example, officials have drained glacier lakes to head off potential flooding, Gagliardini says.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of head off
Verb
  • Sprague told the jury that Clancy was never turned away from mental health care, but that in fact Clancy refused help.
    — Sumiko Corley, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026
  • This summer, Whatley’s campaign barred journalists from mainstream and left-leaning outlets from events, while Cooper’s campaign turned away staffers from two conservative outlets, but local coverage focused more heavily on Whatley.
    — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of turn away
Verb
  • His recent comments didn’t favor the Browns fanbase, and many Cleveland fans seem viscerally repulsed by him.
    — Andy Behrens, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Most Americans are repulsed by the core ideas of radical leftists.
    — Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of repulse

Browse Nearby Words

staved off
stave off
staves off
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stave off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stave%20off. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All