Add to word list to stop something bad from happening, or to keep an unwanted situation or person away, usually temporarily: We were hoping to stave off these difficult decisions until September.

stave off (third-person singular simple present staves off, present participle staving off, simple past and past participle staved off or stove off) (idiomatic) to prevent something from happening; to obviate or avert He drank plenty of orange juice, hoping to stave off the cold making the rounds at the office.

(tr, adverb) to avert or hold off (something undesirable or harmful), esp temporarily: to stave off hunger.