head off

head off (third-person singular simple present heads off, present participle heading off, simple past and past participle headed off)

1. (intransitive) To begin moving away.

   We will head off on our holidays tomorrow.

2. (transitive) To intercept.

   Synonym: cut off

   The cavalry will head off the bandits at the pass.

3. (transitive) To avoid the undesirable consequences of; to prevent.

   The government took steps to head off summertime shortages of gasoline.

   • 2017 February 27, Mure Dickie, Henry Mance, “Theresa May’s speech to head off Scottish independence poll”, in Financial Times‎:

     Theresa May will use a speech to the Scottish Conservative conference on Friday to try to head off growing nationalists’ demands for a second independence referendum.

   • 2023 June 9, Sam Jones, “Podemos and leftist alliance Sumar agree to run jointly in Spain’s snap election”, in The Guardian‎, →ISSN:

     Although the deal, announced hours before the deadline for registering coalitions expired, is intended to head off a split vote and to galvanise leftwing voters against the conservative People’s party (PP), which is leading the polls, there are enduring differences and tensions between Podemos and Sumar.

4. (intransitive) To start out.
   • 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter 82, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 405:

     Perseus, St. George, Hercules, Jonah, and Vishnoo! there’s a member-roll for you! What club but the whaleman’s can head off like that?

5. (nautical) To turn away from the wind.

• head off at the pass

• off-heading