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

The enemy will likely take his words seriously and prepare to stave off his threats.

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026

Tokyo imposed caps on fuel and electricity prices to stave off recession after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, even though Brent oil hung above $100 a barrel for more than four months, Thieliant says.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

Five years later, all the remaining wild condors were captured and bred in captivity to try to stave off extinction.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026

Market breadth has been positive enough to stave off the “stocks only” oscillator sell signal.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 5, 2026

At first, huddled in her sepulcher, unable either to stand up or sit down despite her small size, Alba managed to stave off madness.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende