head off

verb

To begin moving away.
“We will head off on our holidays tomorrow.”
To intercept.
“The cavalry will head off the bandits at the pass.”
“Spurred by her early successes and lack of reprisal, AB has now gone beyond her original stance against gays as teachers and is now advocating a federal law to outlaw gays […] And she just may succeed if we do not move now in a way that we have never moved, to head her off.”
To avoid the undesirable consequences of; to prevent.
“The government took steps to head off summertime shortages of gasoline.”
“Theresa May will use a speech to the Scottish Conservative conference on Friday to try to head off growing nationalists’ demands for a second independence referendum.”
To start out.
“Perseus, St. George, Hercules, Jonah, and Vishnoo! there’s a member-roll for you! What club but the whaleman’s can head off like that?”
To turn away from the wind.