noun A person's head or the top part of the body
verb To go in a particular direction or to a particular place
adverb In the direction of the front or top
In business negotiations, it is important to head off any potential conflicts before they escalate.
Teachers often try to head off disruptive behavior in the classroom by setting clear expectations from the beginning of the school year.
The coach decided to head off any potential issues within the team by addressing them early on.
To avoid traffic, we left early in order to head off any delays on the road.
The project manager took proactive steps to head off any obstacles that could arise during the implementation phase.
In a professional context, 'head off' can be used by writers to describe the act of preventing or addressing potential issues before they escalate. For example, a writer may say 'I wanted to head off any confusion by including a detailed explanation in the introduction.'
Psychologists may use 'head off' to refer to proactively addressing or resolving conflicts or problems before they worsen. For instance, a psychologist may say 'I recommended that the couple attend counseling to head off any further communication breakdowns.'