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 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 Of course, creating a culture of openness and respectful debate requires more than staving off government interference. — Annabelle Garland, The Atlantic, 23 July 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
  • Tide turns back to franchises Then the tide started turning back toward familiar waters.
    — Andrew McGowan, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Once the company and its shareholders become accustomed to such a financial boost, an environment where individual guest spending sharply increases even when domestic park attendance is soft or steady, there’s likely no turning back.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of turning back
Verb
  • This year was no different, except the stakes were simply about preventing their respective seasons from getting any worse.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Abruptly moving on, like a magician preventing his audience from lingering on his last trick, Alex pulled out a tablet, holding it up to me.
    — Andrew Lipstein, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of preventing
Verb
  • Online video shows Prescott looking back at the man — who was there as a transportation service driver — while still walking, then turning away.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Time will tell whether Gen Z keeps turning away from higher education, but the truth is that the traditionally-aged students who do enroll are also arriving with a wider range of needs than ever before.
    — Ruth Bauer, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of turning away
Verb
  • 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
  • Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot hailed for averting a catastrophe on a FlyDubai flight, described Spice Jet incorrectly.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of averting
Verb
  • The running back, 25, had a career night in his first game with the Chiefs, tallying 173 rushing yards on 23 carries, seemingly repelling opponents which resulted in multiple Broncos missed tackles.
    — Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026
  • This includes rain-repelling treatments like Rain X, adds Musson.
    — Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 12 Sep. 2026
Definition of repelling
Verb
  • Unionized staff at the Whitney Museum in New York ratified its second contract Sunday night, hours ahead a strike deadline, narrowly heading off a disruption to the opening of a forthcoming Roy Lichtenstein retrospective.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The roommate confronted Long, who denied installing the device before heading off to class, according to the report.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of heading off
Verb
  • At the Homo Faber craft festival in Venice this past September, one such work—its mouth opening up like a blooming flower—had onlookers resisting the urge to touch it.
    — Hannah Martin, Architectural Digest, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Ukraine's Eastern European neighbors such as Poland and Romania are resisting a push to allow grain to transit through them — even temporarily — due to concerns about a glut destroying demand for their own crops.
    — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 10 Oct. 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

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staves off
staving off
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Cite this Entry

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

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