as in to prevent
to keep from happening by taking action in advance
if we act quickly, we may still be able to head off disaster
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Recent Examples of head off
The movie’s first scenes faithfully recreate the opening of the novel, as Preciado heads off on his journey.
—
Stephania Taladrid, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025
But while others headed off to sunny climes around the world during the 4 Nations Face-Off break, Marchenko canceled plans and stayed in Columbus to skate and get acclimated to the new view through his helmet.
—Aaron Portzline, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
Meanwhile, the rest of the country tries to go on living: The elderly stay at home, adults head off to work and children keep going to school.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Feb. 2025
And the Cubs are now entering their fifth season since Theo Epstein headed off to figure out the inner secrets of the pitch clock.
—Jayson Stark, The Athletic, 17 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for head off
Stephania Taladrid, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025
But while others headed off to sunny climes around the world during the 4 Nations Face-Off break, Marchenko canceled plans and stayed in Columbus to skate and get acclimated to the new view through his helmet.
—Aaron Portzline, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
Meanwhile, the rest of the country tries to go on living: The elderly stay at home, adults head off to work and children keep going to school.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Feb. 2025
And the Cubs are now entering their fifth season since Theo Epstein headed off to figure out the inner secrets of the pitch clock.
—Jayson Stark, The Athletic, 17 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for head off
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Cite this Entry
“Head off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/head%20off. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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