stave off

To keep or hold off; repel

阻止：不使接近； 趕走

“For 12 years, we've sought to stave off this ultimate threat of disaster”(&b{New York Times})

“12年來，我們一直尋求趕走災(zāi)難的最終威脅”(&b{紐約時(shí)報(bào)})