steɪv ɒf
formal
advanced
- Base verb:
- stave
- Particle:
- off
- Separable:
- Yes
What does "stave off" mean?
To prevent or delay something undesirable
Examples
- The bailout was designed to stave off a banking collapse.
- Regular exercise can help stave off cognitive decline.
- The ceasefire managed to stave off further bloodshed.
- The company issued bonds to stave off bankruptcy.
How to use it
Used in high-stakes contexts — finance, medicine, diplomacy.
Word order
Can be separated: 'stave the crisis off'.
Similar expressions
avert
prevent
ward off
forestall
Opposites
succumb to
yield to
Related phrasal verbs
- turn off
To stop a device or appliance by pressing a switch or button
- get off
To leave a bus, train, plane, or other public transport
- go off
To explode or fire (bomb, gun, fireworks)
- give off
To emit or produce something (smell, heat, light, radiation)
- come off
To become detached or separated
- put off
To postpone or delay something
Use it in a practice answer
Try "stave off" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.