ward off
phrasal verb
warded off; warding off; wards off
: to avoid being hit by (something)
ward off a blow
—often used figurativelyI tried different remedies to ward off a cold.
Examples of ward off in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In settling the case, the N.C.A.A. sought to avoid a catastrophic judgment and ward off the steady drumbeat of antitrust lawsuits that have hampered the organization’s ability to make even the most basic of rules.
—
Billy Witz, New York Times, 24 May 2024
Stimulus introduced to ward off the effects of lockdowns was followed by Joe Biden’s mammoth inflation reduction act (IRA), pushing public debt to 121% of GDP.
—Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 18 May 2024
Rookie defender Hanna Lundkvist couldn’t ward off a Bay FC forward near the goal mouth, resulting in an own-goal.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 May 2024
Knee-high, eroded Jizo statues that resembled children — often cloaked in red bibs — peppered the trail to ward off evil and safeguard wayfarers like me.
—Norma Meyer, Orange County Register, 15 May 2024
Chili peppers were used to treat illness in the Maya world and may have been placed at the site to ward off disease.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 May 2024
One of the qualities assigned to salt was its power to purify or to ward off evil, believed by peoples from the Americas to Asia.
—Sean Mowbray, Discover Magazine, 7 May 2024
Having larger glute muscles in place of fat can also ward off heart disease and be helpful with healthy weight management since muscle burns about twice as many calories as fat, Sewell explains.
—Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 3 May 2024
It’s infused with macadamia and hibiscus oils to ward off UV ray damage and Vitamin E to protect the skin from environmental stressors.
—Rebecca Shinners, Travel + Leisure, 19 Apr. 2024
Billy Witz, New York Times, 24 May 2024
Stimulus introduced to ward off the effects of lockdowns was followed by Joe Biden’s mammoth inflation reduction act (IRA), pushing public debt to 121% of GDP.
—Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 18 May 2024
Rookie defender Hanna Lundkvist couldn’t ward off a Bay FC forward near the goal mouth, resulting in an own-goal.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 May 2024
Knee-high, eroded Jizo statues that resembled children — often cloaked in red bibs — peppered the trail to ward off evil and safeguard wayfarers like me.
—Norma Meyer, Orange County Register, 15 May 2024
Chili peppers were used to treat illness in the Maya world and may have been placed at the site to ward off disease.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 May 2024
One of the qualities assigned to salt was its power to purify or to ward off evil, believed by peoples from the Americas to Asia.
—Sean Mowbray, Discover Magazine, 7 May 2024
Having larger glute muscles in place of fat can also ward off heart disease and be helpful with healthy weight management since muscle burns about twice as many calories as fat, Sewell explains.
—Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 3 May 2024
It’s infused with macadamia and hibiscus oils to ward off UV ray damage and Vitamin E to protect the skin from environmental stressors.
—Rebecca Shinners, Travel + Leisure, 19 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ward off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Ward off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ward%20off. Accessed 31 May. 2024.
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