ward off

Jolie’s father and Nema spent the night of the fire hosing down the house in an attempt to ward off the flames.

Not to ward off angry voters - she says she doesn't recognise the collapse in Labour's national popularity - but to poke leaflets through letterboxes without being bitten by dogs.

Ryther has served on the boards of both the SafeSport Center and USA Swimming, and also of swimming’s offshore self-insurance subsidiary, the United States Sports Insurance Company, which was created to ward off abuse lawsuits.

Adrien Brody flashed his status as a two-time Oscar winner to ward off the orchestral music that was nudging him to wrap up his lengthy acceptance speech Sunday evening.

A pre-emptive move designed to further smoothen the entry of Harley Davidsons into India – and, Delhi hopes, ward off any threat of tariffs.