To prevent something bad or undesirable from happening, or to delay it temporarily
To stop something bad from happening, at least for a while
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
To prevent something dangerous or undesirable from happening
"The government announced emergency measures to stave off a financial crisis."
"We took these actions to stave off a possible depression."
— Barack Obama, remarks on the economy, February 2009
To delay the effects of something, such as hunger, fatigue, or decline
"She ate a handful of nuts to stave off hunger until dinner."
To push something away with a stave (a stick or pole) — keeping danger at arm's length
To stop something bad from happening, at least for a while
Common in both journalistic and everyday English. Frequently appears in news contexts (stave off recession, stave off defeat). Implies that the problem is real and threatening, and that preventing it requires effort. The image is of pushing something away with a staff (pole).
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
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