head off
To leave and go to a place, or to stop something bad before it can happen.
Meanings
To leave a place and travel somewhere.
"It's getting late — I think I'll head off home before the traffic gets too bad."
To intercept or divert someone or something before it reaches a destination or causes a problem.
"Security managed to head the protesters off before they reached the main entrance."
To prevent a problem, crisis, or confrontation before it occurs.
"The manager called a team meeting to head off any arguments about the new schedule."
Two distinct senses. The 'depart' sense is very common in everyday speech. The 'intercept/prevent' sense is also widely used, particularly in journalism and discussions about avoiding problems or confrontations. In the 'prevent' sense, it is separable ('head trouble off at the pass').
Commonly used with
Forms
Understand "head off" better
Real video examples
Video examples are being collected. Check back soon.
Want to master this phrasal verb?
Practice "head off" on Looplines