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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
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Recent Examples of stave off
Community water fluoridation is one of the safest and most affordable ways to prevent tooth decay — in turn staving off pulmonary issues, heart disease and diabetes.
—
Samantha Korn, Sun Sentinel, 24 June 2025
For players, this means staving off desperation during close-game situations.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2025
In such a situation, with overall U.S. deterrence weakened, China could exploit the moment to launch a conventional attack against its neighbors, or even be emboldened to use nuclear weapons to stave off the United States.
—Vipin Narang, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025
Because of the dangers of unhindered possibility, the expansion of choice came with guardrails, rules meant to stave off anarchy and social disorder.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for stave off
Samantha Korn, Sun Sentinel, 24 June 2025
For players, this means staving off desperation during close-game situations.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2025
In such a situation, with overall U.S. deterrence weakened, China could exploit the moment to launch a conventional attack against its neighbors, or even be emboldened to use nuclear weapons to stave off the United States.
—Vipin Narang, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025
Because of the dangers of unhindered possibility, the expansion of choice came with guardrails, rules meant to stave off anarchy and social disorder.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for stave off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stave off
Verb
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Fill the hot water, add a small amount of dish soap, and a disinfecting spray to repel odors and maintain bacteria at bay.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
11 July 2025
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The massive aerial assault involved 728 drones and 13 missiles, Ukraine’s Air Force said, eclipsing the previous record number of 539 drones, set on July 4, by hundreds – but it was largely repelled, with the damage limited and no immediate reports of deaths.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
9 July 2025
Verb
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The dispute over the Toledo Strip also forced President Andrew Jackson to act to prevent bloodshed and the loss of a political foothold in the swing state of Ohio.—
David Ubben,
New York Times,
11 July 2025
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These slim chargers take up very little room in a bag or purse and have folding prongs to prevent scratches.—
Parker Hall,
Wired News,
11 July 2025
Verb
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But the big challenge for Świątek, resisting a reversion to the baseline aggression when matches get stressful, also gets magnified on grass, where sets can disappear in minutes and errors rack up more easily and quickly.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
5 July 2025
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The Supreme Court upheld that ruling and ordered the administration to begin the process of releasing him, but officials resisted bringing him back until he was indicted on the human smuggling charges in May.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
4 July 2025
Verb
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Thanks to their collective efforts, well over one million child deaths were averted.—
Jennifer Lotito,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
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In November, the city transit system averted a strike when the parties agreed to a one-year contract with 5% raises.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
2 July 2025
Verb
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Mahomes and the Chiefs will have a new-look offense with hopes that Travis Kelce could tap into his younger self and turn back the clock to help the team back to the Super Bowl.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
7 July 2025
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That timeline might be fitting since the Ducks turned back the clock with the hire of coach Joel Quenneville, who will be 67 when the puck drops on the season opener and won Stanley Cup titles in 2010, 2013 and 2015 with the Chicago Blackhawks.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
7 July 2025
Verb
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Snelling has said investigators were pulling video surveillance footage from the area, asking the public for tips on who is to blame, and working to head off any retaliation.—
Sam Charles,
Chicago Tribune,
9 July 2025
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Sure, Amelia gets to do some cool stuff like scamper on all fours toward a target, scramble down a wall like a spider, rip the head off one poor unfortunate and neutralize entire tactical units with her dazzling fight skills.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
25 June 2025
Verb
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Both works are countdowns of a kind, but where Bowie shouts into the void, Drake gently turns away from it.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
5 July 2025
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That means, on average, more than 96 out of every 100 applicants were turned away, many of them top of their class, test score-perfect, and extracurricular-rich.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
4 July 2025
Verb
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After a disastrous trip to Mexico where Irina appeared repulsed by everything Zack did, the couple split and Zack went crawling back to Bliss.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
13 June 2025
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Clearly repulsed by the ravages of war, Lear kept the girl a secret, presumably went AWOL, and created new identities for them.—
Matt Webb Mitovich,
TVLine,
13 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stave off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stave%20off. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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