Akademik

stave off
verb
prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening (Freq. 3)
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Let's avoid a confrontation

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head off a confrontation

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avert a strike

• Syn:
↑debar, ↑forefend, ↑forfend, ↑obviate, ↑deflect, ↑avert, ↑head off, ↑fend off, ↑avoid, ↑ward off
• Derivationally related forms: ↑avoidable (for: ↑avoid), ↑avertible (for: ↑avert), ↑avertable (for: ↑avert), ↑obviation (for: ↑obviate)
• Hypernyms: ↑prevent, ↑forestall, ↑foreclose, ↑preclude, ↑forbid
• Verb Frames:
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Somebody ——s something

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Something ——s something

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transitive verb
1. : to beat off (an animal or person) with or as if with a staff or rod : drive or fight off
2. : to ward or fend off (someone) : hold back : keep away

let's stave the greaser off till dark — Zane Grey

often had to stave off creditors — W.A.Swanberg

3. : to forestall or prevent (something adverse) especially at the last moment or in extremity : deflect, avert

the last form of credit that staved off foreclosure — New Republic

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ˌstave ˈoff [transitive] [present tense I/you/we/they stave off he/she/it staves off present participle staving off past tense staved off past participle staved off] phrasal verb
to stop something from happening

We’re still trying to stave off a trade war with the US.

Thesaurus: to prevent something from happeningsynonym to kill a person or animalsynonym
Main entry: stave

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stave off [phrasal verb]
stave (someone or something) off or stave off (someone or something) : to keep (someone or something) away usually for a short time

He's trying to stave off his creditors.

Our company cannot stave bankruptcy off any longer.

She ate a few crackers to stave off hunger. [=to prevent herself from getting too hungry]

• • •
Main Entry: ↑stave

Useful english dictionary. 2012.