Grammar fix
stave off
delay or prevent something bad or unwanted
to stop something unpleasant, harmful, or unwanted from happening for a period of time, usually by taking action to delay it, but not necessarily to stop it completely.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
Taking regular breaks can help stave off mental fatigue during long study sessions.
Many people exercise regularly to stave off health problems as they get older.
Fix the pattern
One small grammar move makes it sound right.
Not: He drank coffee to stave off from sleep.
Say: He drank coffee to stave off sleep.
'Stave off' takes the object directly — no 'from'.
Which sounds natural?
Tap the one a native speaker would say.
'Stave off' is the idiomatic 'hold something bad at bay for a while'; the formal version is wordy.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
stave off + threat
- hunger
- boredom
- a crisis
- bankruptcy