stave off

verb

staved off; staving off; staves off
Synonyms of stave offnext

transitive verb

1
: to fend off
staving off creditors
2
: to ward off (something adverse) : forestall
trying to stave off disaster

Synonyms of stave off

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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
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.
To help stave off the worst of the cuts, California legislators fought for $250 million to help support public hospitals. — Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 10 Aug. 2026 Lots of wells off the coast of California are in decline, and fracking might reverse that trend — and stave off decommissioning costs. — Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 9 Aug. 2026 Those measures haven’t shown the same benefits for working-age adults, who are more likely to turn to illicit drugs for pain relief or to stave off withdrawal than for experimentation, Raville said. — Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 9 Aug. 2026 Save the endowment, rather than lose it in trying to stave off an institutional death spiral. — Jim Nowlan, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stave off

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stave off was in 1611

Rhymes for stave off

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Browse Nearby Words

stave oak
stave off
stave pipe
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Cite this Entry

“Stave off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stave%20off. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

stave off

verb
: to force or keep away : fend off
stave off trouble

More from Merriam-Webster on stave off

Nglish: Translation of stave off for Spanish Speakers

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