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
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
Advertisement Despite the scale of distribution, the UN has warned that aid provided through GHF represents only a fraction of what is needed to stave off starvation for Gaza’s population of more than two million.
—
Callum Sutherland, Time, 16 July 2025
Several lobbyists offered various reasons for being unable to stave off big cuts to Medicaid, the $900 billion state-federal health insurance program that covers low-income and disabled people and accounts for 19% of all spending on hospital care. .
—Phil Galewitz, NPR, 14 July 2025
Investing even a few hours this summer to reflect could stave off months of chaos later.
—Cynthia Pong, Forbes.com, 13 July 2025
The only way to stave off that sort of tax evasion would require additional work by the IRS, costing more tax dollars.
—Daniel Hungerman, The Conversation, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for stave off
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Callum Sutherland, Time, 16 July 2025
Several lobbyists offered various reasons for being unable to stave off big cuts to Medicaid, the $900 billion state-federal health insurance program that covers low-income and disabled people and accounts for 19% of all spending on hospital care. .
—Phil Galewitz, NPR, 14 July 2025
Investing even a few hours this summer to reflect could stave off months of chaos later.
—Cynthia Pong, Forbes.com, 13 July 2025
The only way to stave off that sort of tax evasion would require additional work by the IRS, costing more tax dollars.
—Daniel Hungerman, The Conversation, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for stave off
Cite this Entry
“Stave off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stave%20off. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
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