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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stave off
Listen to this article 2 min Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a playoff career-high 40 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder staved off the Minnesota Timberwolves fourth quarter comeback attempt on Monday.
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Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 27 May 2025
The Field of 64 will be revealed Monday. UConn, which staved off elimination on Thursday and Friday, left 11 men on base, went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left the bases loaded in the second, third and seventh innings.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 25 May 2025
That’s how cornerback Nick McCloud staved off a pay cut until midseason last year.
—Dan Duggan, New York Times, 21 May 2025
Scientists believe some of these palm-sized coral babies — 1,050 of them in total — contain the special ingredients to stave off a warming ocean that has damaged 84% of the world’s reefs since 2023.
—Max Chesnes, Sun Sentinel, 18 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for stave off
Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 27 May 2025
The Field of 64 will be revealed Monday. UConn, which staved off elimination on Thursday and Friday, left 11 men on base, went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left the bases loaded in the second, third and seventh innings.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 25 May 2025
That’s how cornerback Nick McCloud staved off a pay cut until midseason last year.
—Dan Duggan, New York Times, 21 May 2025
Scientists believe some of these palm-sized coral babies — 1,050 of them in total — contain the special ingredients to stave off a warming ocean that has damaged 84% of the world’s reefs since 2023.
—Max Chesnes, Sun Sentinel, 18 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for stave off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stave off
Verb
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Some companion plants are either trap plants, which will distract the bugs, or plants that will repel them with their scent.—
Heather Bien,
Southern Living,
4 June 2025
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Strikes were also repelled in the Amur region in Russia's Far East and in the western regions of Ivanovo and Ryazan, the ministry said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 June 2025
Verb
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President Trump on Wednesday signed a travel ban on 12 countries, primarily in Africa and the Middle East, resurrecting an effort from his first term to prevent large numbers of immigrants and visitors from entering the United States.—
Hamed Aleaziz,
New York Times,
5 June 2025
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Iran's arch-foe Israel, which sees Tehran's nuclear programme as an existential threat, has repeatedly threatened to bomb the Islamic Republic's nuclear facilities to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.—
Parisa Hafezi,
USA Today,
5 June 2025
Verb
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Following the ordeal, Jung couldn't resist reliving the experience and sharing it on social media.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 May 2025
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If craving ice cream, resist the urge to judge yourself before, during, or after eating it, Shabazz says.—
Maia Niguel Hoskin,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Verb
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The enclave needs at least 500 to 600 trucks daily to avert a deepening humanitarian catastrophe, as civilians face a severe shortage of supplies like food and medicine, said UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees in Gaza.—
Jeremy Diamond,
CNN Money,
26 May 2025
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Matthew Barrett, president and CEO of the Connecticut Association of Health Care Facilities, the state’s largest nursing home coalition, praised Lamont and union leadership for averting a work stoppage.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
23 May 2025
Verb
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The two occupants of the jet ski stopped and started to turn back, but then sped away after apparently realizing Moore was injured.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 May 2025
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Business at Malibu Farm is down at least 50 percent — more on weekdays — and Henderson says half of her dinner reservations don’t show, likely turned back by roadblocks along PCH.—
Benjamin Svetkey,
HollywoodReporter,
21 May 2025
Verb
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On Friday, May 30, the Ghostbusters actress, 54, shared a rare glimpse of her firstborn daughter, 18-year-old Vivian Falcone, as the high schooler headed off to the rite of passage event.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
31 May 2025
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One minor example: In the game, a broken and vengeful Tommy heads off to Seattle first, which gives Ellie a bit more of a permission structure to run off from Jackson; in the show, Ellie is the spearhead, and her recklessness is unquestionably apparent.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
26 May 2025
Verb
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How can anyone turn away from the plight of a starving child?—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 May 2025
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Taking time for yourself isn’t turning away but refueling for what lies ahead.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
Verb
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But throughout the series, he became increasingly repulsed by these actions, which included enslaving thousands of women.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
27 May 2025
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With every cringe, with every critique of her family’s behavior, Piper has been telegraphing that those values repulse her.—
Cyndy Etler,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stave off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stave%20off. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.
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