as in averted
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 headed off
LeBron and Savannah James' son Bronny headed off to prom 2023 with tons of swagger.
—
Lindy Segal, PEOPLE, 25 Apr. 2026
That’s how, last night, the best golfer most of us have ever seen slinked out of a Florida jail shortly before midnight and headed off into an uncertain future.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2026
That’s how, last night, the best golfer most of us have ever seen slinked out of a Florida jail shortly before midnight and headed off into an uncertain future.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2026
Slotkin said her legislation could have headed off that split.
—Kevin Collier, NBC news, 17 Mar. 2026
When Riley and the Grinch headed off to USC, Johnson decided to follow their lead and served as a graduate assistant from 2022 to 2023.
—Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2026
With Joe Ryan and Taj Bradley headed off to compete in the World Baseball Classic next month, the Twins should get an extended look at some of their rotation options.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 18 Feb. 2026
Some of us headed off to bed; for others, another movie beckoned.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2026
The Moment lands between a celebrity thriller, reality television, and a pop concert documentary that’s headed off the rails.
—Anna Gaca, Pitchfork, 30 Jan. 2026
Lindy Segal, PEOPLE, 25 Apr. 2026
That’s how, last night, the best golfer most of us have ever seen slinked out of a Florida jail shortly before midnight and headed off into an uncertain future.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2026
That’s how, last night, the best golfer most of us have ever seen slinked out of a Florida jail shortly before midnight and headed off into an uncertain future.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2026
Slotkin said her legislation could have headed off that split.
—Kevin Collier, NBC news, 17 Mar. 2026
When Riley and the Grinch headed off to USC, Johnson decided to follow their lead and served as a graduate assistant from 2022 to 2023.
—Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2026
With Joe Ryan and Taj Bradley headed off to compete in the World Baseball Classic next month, the Twins should get an extended look at some of their rotation options.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 18 Feb. 2026
Some of us headed off to bed; for others, another movie beckoned.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2026
The Moment lands between a celebrity thriller, reality television, and a pop concert documentary that’s headed off the rails.
—Anna Gaca, Pitchfork, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headed off
Verb
-
Matt Duchene tied it for Dallas on a power play midway through the third period, seconds after his backcheck on Matt Boldy averted a short-handed goal that would've put Minnesota up by two.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The school district narrowly averted 100 layoffs at the end of March, and potentially 300 more by the end of the school year, with an emergency $10 million from Gaston County commissioners March 24.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Trump has repeatedly said, including in a briefing immediately following the shooting, that the 20,000-square-foot addition would have prevented a would-be shooter from getting close to him.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The man reportedly told others to move out of the way just before the tree fell, which the people said likely prevented more of them from being hit.—
Kathryn Prociv,
NBC news,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Headed off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headed%20off. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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