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ward off

British  

verb

  1. (tr, adverb) to turn aside or repel; avert

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
ward off Idioms  

  1. Turn aside, parry, as in He tried to ward off her blows . [Second half of 1500s]

  2. Try to prevent, avert, as in She took vitamin C to ward off a cold . [Mid-1700s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Scott hopes this shuttling around of his stem cells, a procedure that costs patients $10,000, will rejuvenate his 82-year-old body and ward off the effects of aging.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

These vaccines may ward off cancer in patients who have been treated for the disease, but are at high risk for recurrence.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

Bangladesh has rationed fuel and deployed the military to ward off unrest.

From Barron's • Mar. 14, 2026

Bournemouth are reportedly set to, external open contract talks with Iraola in an effort to ward off interest from Crystal Palace, Tottenham and Manchester United.

From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026

I placed it under my pillow at night to ward off nightmares.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.