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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
Proponents say the new monuments will protect a plethora of vulnerable wildlife and culturally significant sites while staving off development and resource extraction — including of clean energy.
—
Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2025
The Supreme Court’s denial of Trump’s emergency application caps his extensive efforts to stave off his sentencing.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 9 Jan. 2025
In a rush to stave off the ban, TikTok and a group of creators quickly filed lawsuits against the Justice Department, arguing that the law, the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, violates their First Amendment rights.
—Makena Kelly, WIRED, 17 Jan. 2025
While the club are fighting to stave off relegation, his contract should also be constructed to protect the club’s future.
—Elias Burke, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for stave off 
Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2025
The Supreme Court’s denial of Trump’s emergency application caps his extensive efforts to stave off his sentencing.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 9 Jan. 2025
In a rush to stave off the ban, TikTok and a group of creators quickly filed lawsuits against the Justice Department, arguing that the law, the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, violates their First Amendment rights.
—Makena Kelly, WIRED, 17 Jan. 2025
While the club are fighting to stave off relegation, his contract should also be constructed to protect the club’s future.
—Elias Burke, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for stave off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stave off
Verb
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Intense light works wonders when repelling the creatures of meth, as do air horns and other sonic blasts.—
Matt Thompson,
SPIN,
3 Feb. 2025
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One shopper added that the fabric repels water better than the sunbrella fabrics on their other furniture.—
Megan Schaltegger,
Better Homes & Gardens,
30 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The pause has prevented important studies on bird flu and its transmission from being published.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
People.com,
5 Feb. 2025
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The ruling prevents prison officials from transferring them to men’s facilities or restricting their access to medical care while the legal challenge moves forward.—
Kaelan Deese,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
5 Feb. 2025
Verb
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But, as the story goes, the trial and its subsequent publicity made Burrell’s work dry up, and a lucrative book deal was impossible to resist.—
Allie Merriam,
Vogue,
30 Jan. 2025
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Set in the aftermath of a devastating toxic snowfall kills millions, the series is helmed by Bruno Stagnaro and stars Darín as Juan Salvo, who joins forces with a group of survivors in Buenos Aires to resist the invisible threat.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
30 Jan. 2025
Verb
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However, an active-duty U.S. Army pilot tells PEOPLE that the goggles may have actually hindered the pilots’ efforts to avert the crash with the airliner.—
Maria Pasquini,
People.com,
30 Jan. 2025
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By upgrading the recall status, the agency seeks to ensure that consumers are adequately informed and aware of the potential health risks, thereby promoting proactive measures to avert potential health impacts.—
Quartz Intelligence Newsroom,
Quartz,
28 Jan. 2025
Verb
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But lawyers behind the initial push for reform said prosecutors and the governor were using fear mongering tactics to scare the public into turning back the clock.—
Leonard Greene,
New York Daily News,
31 Jan. 2025
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The first, under the call-sign Reach 538, turned back near the Texas Gulf Coast and landed in Houston.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
31 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Inevitably, the question will arise: Even without the fear of breaking the law, why the hell would anyone head off on their honeymoon with dozens of heads of cabbage stashed in their pants?—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
25 Jan. 2025
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Brittany stepped onto the field ahead of the game to give the Chiefs quarterback a quick kiss before Patrick headed off to start the game.—
Rachel Raposas,
People.com,
20 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The twin engine Embraer ERJ 175 began a climbing right turn away from the airport, and later landed successfully, data from FlightAware, a flight-tracking website, shows.—
Casey Tolan,
CNN,
30 Jan. 2025
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The witness then stated that the victim had turned away from Mark in an attempt to ignore him and this is when Mark walked up to him with a plate and hit the victim on the head with the plate.—
Sophie Clark,
Newsweek,
28 Jan. 2025
Verb
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These same, once skeptical business leaders rallied around Trump in 2017 but were repulsed by many of his words and actions within eight months, withdrawing support, not returning to give him a second chance until now.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven Tian,
TIME,
17 Jan. 2025
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Western publics by and large have managed to stave off compassion fatigue and remain committed to helping Ukraine repulse the Russian invasion.—
Nina Jankowicz,
Foreign Affairs,
4 May 2023
Thesaurus Entries Near stave off
Cite this Entry
“Stave off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stave%20off. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
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