intercept vs ward off

intercept

verb
  • To stop, deflect or divert (something in progress or motion). 

  • Of a defensive player: to steal a pass thrown by the opposing team, gaining possession of the ball. 

  • To take or comprehend between. 

  • To gain possession of (the ball) in a ball game 

  • An aeronautical action in which a fighter approaches a suspicious aircraft to escort it away from a prohibited area, or approaches an enemy aircraft to shoot it down. 

noun
  • An interception of a radio broadcast or a telephone call. 

  • A form of market research where consumers are intercepted and interviewed in a retail store or mall. 

  • An interception of a missile. 

  • The coordinate of the point at which a curve intersects an axis. 

ward off

verb
  • To avert or prevent. 

  • To parry, or turn aside. 

How often have the words intercept and ward off occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )