HEAD OFF Definition & Meaning

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head off

verb

to intercept and force to change direction
to head off the stampede
to prevent or forestall (something that is likely to happen)
to depart or set out
to head off to school

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Idioms and Phrases

Block the progress or completion of; also, intercept. For example, They worked round the clock to head off the flu epidemic , or Try to head him off before he gets home . [First half of 1800s] This expression gave rise to head someone off at the pass , which in Western films meant “to block someone at a mountain pass.” It then became a general colloquialism for intercepting someone, as in Jim is going to the boss's office—let's head him off at the pass .

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Example Sentences

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Sheinbaum is desperately seeking to head off Trump’s plans to impose punishing tariffs on Mexican imports to the United States.

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Labour are also looking to head off the threat of Reform UK, who declared during last year's general election that the benefits system was "broken".

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Many were sure that he'd called the election early to head off to a new life in California.

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“We were heading off into the unknown. We never knew we were going to lay our heads the next night. We never knew how sick we'd get.”

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Officials from Mexico and Canada are in Washington this week as they try to head off the measures.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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head off

verb

Idioms and Phrases

Example Sentences