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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

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

Gulf states are directing their systems towards their own shores to ward off Iran's satellite-guided Shahed drones -- at the cost, deemed acceptable, of disrupting their own lives.

From Barron's • Mar. 8, 2026

She held up a hand to ward off any argument.

From "Stormbreaker" by Anthony Horowitz

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.