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
The power shutoffs are the first wildfire-safety blackouts undertaken this year by PG&E, which has come under consistent criticism for engineering power shutoffs in past years to ward off fires caused by its equipment.
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Daniel Hunt, Sacramento Bee, 30 June 2024
Ashwatthama swats away the storm troopers and their flying vehicles like so many bothersome flies, and exerts only slightly more effort by warding off Bhairava and his high-tech weaponry.
—Joe Leydon, Variety, 29 June 2024
Store shelves may be lined with a plethora of sprays and gadgets such as bracelets, candles and bug zappers purported to ward off the insects, but Fonseca and other experts say only those with a few key active ingredients are effective.
—Riis Williams, Scientific American, 24 June 2024
Black Tourmaline: For psychic protection Black tourmaline, considered a protective shield that can guard Cancer's psychic sensitivity, not only wards off negative energies but also promotes emotional stability.
—Valerie Mesa, Peoplemag, 21 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for ward off 
Daniel Hunt, Sacramento Bee, 30 June 2024
Ashwatthama swats away the storm troopers and their flying vehicles like so many bothersome flies, and exerts only slightly more effort by warding off Bhairava and his high-tech weaponry.
—Joe Leydon, Variety, 29 June 2024
Store shelves may be lined with a plethora of sprays and gadgets such as bracelets, candles and bug zappers purported to ward off the insects, but Fonseca and other experts say only those with a few key active ingredients are effective.
—Riis Williams, Scientific American, 24 June 2024
Black Tourmaline: For psychic protection Black tourmaline, considered a protective shield that can guard Cancer's psychic sensitivity, not only wards off negative energies but also promotes emotional stability.
—Valerie Mesa, Peoplemag, 21 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for ward off
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 7 Jul. 2024.
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