ward off

ward off idiom
  1. Turn aside, parry, as in He tried to ward off her blows. [Second half of 1500s]
  2. Try to prevent, avert, as in She took vitamin C to ward off a cold. [Mid-1700s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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