as in preventing
to keep from happening by taking action in advance
if we act quickly, we may still be able to head off disaster
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Recent Examples of heading off
Most recently, Alverson has also dipped his toe into advising sorority hopefuls as a rush coach — part of an emerging market for girls looking to polish up their image before heading off to college.
—
Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
The president calls his wife and complains about the sole of his shoe before heading off to a girls’ basketball event with Angel Reese.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
Happier, at least initially, is Captain Olivia Walker (Rebecca Ferguson), who kisses her husband and young son goodbye before heading off to work at the White House.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025
On the day this particular video was filmed, Michael was heading off for one of the most gruelling shifts on his intensive schedule.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
However, becoming an expat is not always as simple as packing up your bags and heading off to wherever calls your name.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
The broadcasting deals were revealed in exclusivity to Variety on Monday by global distributor Federation International, as 150 world buyers were heading off to this week’s Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Le Havre, the world’s largest dedicated market for French audiovisual content.
—Annika Pham, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025
The gig was the band’s final show before heading off to the studio to record their next studio album, which will be their first LP without Brent Hinds.
—Quentin Thane Singer, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
The president calls his wife and complains about the sole of his shoe before heading off to a girls’ basketball event with Angel Reese.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
Happier, at least initially, is Captain Olivia Walker (Rebecca Ferguson), who kisses her husband and young son goodbye before heading off to work at the White House.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025
On the day this particular video was filmed, Michael was heading off for one of the most gruelling shifts on his intensive schedule.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
However, becoming an expat is not always as simple as packing up your bags and heading off to wherever calls your name.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
The broadcasting deals were revealed in exclusivity to Variety on Monday by global distributor Federation International, as 150 world buyers were heading off to this week’s Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Le Havre, the world’s largest dedicated market for French audiovisual content.
—Annika Pham, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025
The gig was the band’s final show before heading off to the studio to record their next studio album, which will be their first LP without Brent Hinds.
—Quentin Thane Singer, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heading off
Verb
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Led by scientists at Rice University in Houston, the study suggests Jupiter's early growth cut off the flow of gas and dust toward the inner solar system, preventing the material that would one day form Earth, Venus and Mars from spiraling into the sun.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
24 Oct. 2025
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Breaking up or obscuring the reflection makes the glass visible to birds, preventing them from hitting your windows.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Broadway musicians have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract, averting the possibility of a strike.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
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Since then, a nonprofit called Mirror Biology Dialogues Fund has sponsored a series of meetings to develop recommendations aimed at averting the threat scientists think mirror life could pose.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Heading off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heading%20off. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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