staved off

verb

past tense of stave off
1
as in repulsed
to drive back managed to stave off the invaders

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in prevented
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

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.
Recent Examples of staved off During his tenure Thomas also successfully staved off a hostile takeover. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 June 2026 In the moments that gunmen opened fire at the Islamic Center of San Diego, the actions of three men staved off an even more extensive tragedy. — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026 That spending staved off a recession at the cost of overheating the economy, contributing to the inflation that still plagues Americans. — Matt Peterson, CNBC, 27 May 2026 The goal staved off the momentum from American Heritage (20-2), which scored three consecutive goals in the fourth period to tie the game. — Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 May 2026 Some factors — that crime has hit historic lows as Tisch has headed the department and Mamdani’s relative lack of action in the police department — have staved off criticism from moderates. — Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 15 June 2026 By comparison, in 2022, Republicans picked up a handful of seats and narrowly won control of the House, and although Democrats staved off a large-scale GOP wave, Latino voters trended away from Democrats that year. — Anne Bryson, CBS News, 24 June 2026 But the team could not shut the door on the Stags (35-14), who staved off elimination and delayed an early claim to a coveted berth in the College World Series, which begins May 28 at Classic Park in Eastlake, Ohio. — Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 23 May 2026 Cat Petteys hit two home runs and Jessica Walter pitched a one-hitter as the UConn softball team staved off elimination with a 5-1 victory over McNeese in the NCAA Tournament Regional at College Station, Texas. — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 17 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for staved off
  1. repulsed
  2. prevented
  3. turned back
  4. averted
  5. turned away
  6. repelled
  7. resisted
Verb
  • Plenty of people bought it, plenty were repulsed by it.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 11 June 2026
  • Firstman’s debut directorial effort, Club Kid, shrewdly acknowledges those garish personality tics, which have both endeared and repulsed audiences.
    — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026
Definition of repulsed
Verb
  • Only a strong relay throw home by second baseman Miguel Rojas and a successful challenge prevented Hunter Goodman from scoring a go-ahead run.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
  • But Russian athletes in some sports, most notably track and field, will still likely be prevented from competing because of international sports federations’ policies regarding the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes.
    — Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 7 July 2026
Definition of prevented
Verb
  • Shopify shoppers turned back the clock to invest in simpler things including better sleep, dumb phones, and fixing old devices instead of just buying new ones, according to June sales data shared first with Retail Brew.
    — Vidhi Choudhary, Fortune, 7 July 2026
  • The conversation turned back to what has changed in how distribution has evolved internationally, due to streaming.
    — Kambole Campbell, Variety, 6 July 2026
Definition of turned back
Verb
  • Estimates suggest that as a result of the implementation of these mandates, more than 200,000 COVID-19 cases were averted by May 22, 2020.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026
  • But today, overshadowed by conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, the world has averted its gaze from Sudan.
    — Janine di Giovanni, Vanity Fair, 25 June 2026
Definition of averted
Verb
  • Egypt had one more chance before the end of regulation, but Haissem Hassan was turned away by Souttar, who deflected the shot with his knee.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
  • Several American applicants were allegedly turned away even when the companies were actively hiring.
    — Jessica Alvarado Gamez, Denver Post, 2 July 2026
Definition of turned away
Verb
  • Body on the line 💪 But that was not the Wan-Bissaka who repelled Rashford’s attacking threat as England toiled at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
    — Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 2 July 2026
  • It’s often said that pests are repelled by the strong scent of coffee, or that mosquitoes won’t bite and ants won’t be able to navigate by their scent trails if coffee grounds are around.
    — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 24 June 2026
Definition of repelled
Verb
  • Hibon says the filmmakers deliberately resisted recreating the look of the old cartoon.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 2 July 2026
  • Europe has long resisted air conditioning as noisy, an eyesore on architectural facades and unnecessary, as brutal summer heat has been relatively short-lived.
    — Anniek Bao,Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 2 July 2026
Definition of resisted

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Cite this Entry

“Staved off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/staved%20off. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of staved off for Spanish Speakers

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