to accept that you have been defeated and stop arguing or fighting:
To stave off sth
-
to stop something bad from happening, or to keep an unwanted situation or person away, usually temporarily:
To stave off sth meaning & definition 1 of To stave off sth.
-
to prevent something, or prevent someone from doing something, esp. until a later time:
To stave off sth meaning & definition 2 of To stave off sth.
Similar Words