head off

verb

headed off; heading off; heads off

transitive verb

: to turn back or turn aside : block, prevent
head them off at the pass
attempts to head off the imminent crisis

Examples of head off in a Sentence

if we act quickly, we may still be able to head off disaster
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In Interstellar, the thematic fulcrum on which the whole movie turns is a series of scenes where our hero Coop (McConaughey) says good-bye to his 10-year-old daughter Murph (Mackenzie Foy) in her room before heading off to space for one last mission. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2024 Upon their return, Andy heads over to convince the four castaways, while Sam and Genevieve head off to make the fake immunity idol statue. Jason Fields, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024 But after an initial electric variation on that theme, the EQ fortwo, the company has headed off in a more general (and sizeable) direction. James Morris, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024 What if the buyer wants to go with impact-resistant shingles as the insurance industry advises, seeing it as a way to head off problems in the future? Aldo Svaldi, The Denver Post, 10 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for head off 

Word History

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of head off was in 1825

Dictionary Entries Near head off

Cite this Entry

“Head off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/head%20off. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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