stave off

British  

verb

1. (tr, adverb) to avert or hold off (something undesirable or harmful), esp temporarily

   to stave off hunger

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stave off Idioms  

1. Keep or hold away, repel, as in The Federal Reserve Board is determined to stave off inflation. This metaphoric expression transfers beating something off with a staff or stave to nonphysical repulsion. [c. 1600]

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Example Sentences

To stave off potential shortages of critical goods, the federal government can build up stockpiles and reshore critical manufacturing, including through public factories.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 3, 2026

Or had he resorted to Botox in his quest to stave off signs of decline and old age?

From BBC • May 30, 2026

Game 4 is Monday night here in Los Angeles, a night the Lakers will try to stave off elimination and a night that will determine how the conversations will go with James if they lose.

From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2026

In recent weeks, investor appetite has reached a fever pitch and to stave off demand, Rao has had to repeatedly tell investors that the company is “not raising,” Anthropic investors and prospective investors said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

He did not stir; he lay still, feeling that by being still he would stave off feeling and thinking, and that was what he wanted above all right now.

From "Native Son" by Richard Wright