Question:medium

The company managed to stave off bankruptcy for another few months. The meaning of the idiom "stave off" is:

Show Hint

"Stave off" means to hold a problem back for a while, not to end it.
Updated On: Jul 16, 2026
  • To delay something bad
  • Cancel
  • Implement instantly
  • Follow
Show Solution

The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

Break the phrase into its history to understand it. "Stave" originally meant to fend off a blow with a staff or stick, and "off" adds the sense of pushing something away. Together, "stave off" means to hold back a bad outcome for some time.
Now test each option against the sentence: "The company managed to ___ bankruptcy for another few months." Only "delay something bad" makes sense with "for another few months", because that phrase signals a temporary postponement, not a permanent fix.
"Cancel" would not need the time phrase "for another few months", since a cancelled event does not return later. "Implement instantly" and "follow" do not connect to bankruptcy being avoided at all.
So the meaning of "stave off" is confirmed as option A, "To delay something bad".
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