Head off means to leave or set off somewhere, or to stop a problem before it happens. In the first meaning it's an everyday phrase: I'd better head off, I'm heading off to work. In the second, head off is followed by what needs stopping: head off a crisis, head off complaints. People use it about action taken early, before trouble arrives.
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head off (home / to + place); head off + problem/crisis/complaints; head something off
- It's nearly six, so I'm going to head off and catch the early train.
- We usually head off to the coast on Friday evening to avoid the traffic.
- The manager spoke to the angry customers early and headed off a formal complaint.
What changed
First versionI'm tired, so I'll head off to home now.
RevisionI'm tired, so I'll head off home now.
After verbs of movement, home already includes the direction, so it takes no to: head off home, go home, get home. The mistake comes from phrases like head off to work or to school. With the name of a place, to stays: head off to the station.
Head out also means to leave or set off, but only that: We head out at seven. You can't prevent a problem with head out; only head off can do that: Good planning can head off most delays.
Your turn
The teacher explained the new rules on the first day to ___ any arguments later.
Show the answer
head off — The teacher explains the rules in advance so that there are no arguments later: that's the meaning “prevent”, so head off. Head out only means “go out, set off”, and arguments can't be its object.
Describe a problem at work, in your studies or at home that you managed to prevent. Say what exactly you did in advance.
At work, I headed off a missed deadline by asking the designer for the images a week early.
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