stave off

verb

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 The Padres won Game 3 and staved off elimination in his absence. — Ryan Canfield Outkick, FOXNews.com, 10 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 The series now shifts to Las Vegas for Game 3 on Friday with the defending champions trying to stave off elimination. — ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026 Paige Bueckers had 21 points and six rebounds for Dallas, which won seven of eight to end the season to earn the seventh seed and will now try to stave off elimination at home. — CBS News, 28 Sep. 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
  • During wetter years, trees are healthier and can more easily repel the beetle with sap.
    — Jennifer Oldham, Denver Post, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The wax repels liquid water but keeps tiny pores, so vapor can still escape.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of repel
Verb
  • Kenyan President William Ruto said in 2023 that government agencies should have been able to prevent the deaths.
    — Jefferson Kahinju Reuters, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The titanium frame will naturally handle all kinds of impact, and the flashlight's battery chamber is sealed to prevent water damage.
    — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of prevent
Verb
  • And strength to resist reducing complex human challenges to slogans, enemies, or simple answers.
    — Halla Tómasdóttir, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The new generation of therapeutic peptides is chemically modified to resist breakdown in the gastrointestinal tract, where traditional peptide drugs degrade before they can be absorbed.
    — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of resist
Verb
  • Digger, joined by his earnest and exasperated head of environmental safety and security, Nirav Ganesh (Riz Ahmed), heads to Europe to try to avert an unprecedented environmental disaster.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Jackson averted a suspension ahead of this season when authorities declined to file formal criminal charges after he was arrested on suspicion of felony domestic violence.
    — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of avert
Verb
  • Among those rescued was Chinese tourist Weiwei Zhao, who had been trekking with a friend but turned back because of heavy snowfall.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Forty percent of the broad market index is made up of tech stocks, which have surged recently as investors — wary of higher interest rates — turn back to those companies most able to weather any sudden downturn.
    — Sarah Min, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of turn back
Verb
  • At one point, the owner can be seen pointing in a different direction, then heads off to help another customer.
    — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The video shows a Jeep Grand Cherokee repeatedly backing up into the front door of the restaurant before its driver eventually heads off.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of head off
Verb
  • Many of the nation’s most elite institutions have recently turned away from test-blind or test-optional admission policies.
    — Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The property can house up to 250 animals, some of which may require specialized care or may have illnesses or specific diseases that would, in most cases, cause them to be euthanized or turned away.
    — Rashad Williams, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of turn away
Verb
  • Her widowed aunt plays chaperone as Susanna attends heady lectures and repulses her many suitors.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Young people just aren’t interested, partly because they’re repulsed by bodily fluids.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of repulse

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staved off
stave off
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Cite this Entry

“Stave off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stave%20off. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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