as in delaying
to stop the progress or spread of (something)
efforts to stem the dramatic decline of an endangered species
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Recent Examples of stemming
McKinley County's poor infrastructure reflects its disproportionately high poverty rate — triple the national average — stemming in part from the closings of mines, power plants and oil refineries.
—
Tyler Kingkade, NBC news, 14 Oct. 2025
The sport of canyoneering involves rappelling, down-climbing, wading, and stemming, or stretching your arms and legs across the narrowest section of a canyon and using pressure to slowly progress.
—Nicholas Derenzo, AFAR Media, 16 Sep. 2025
Wilcox’s defenses have multiple fronts using four and three down linemen, stemming on the same play and disguised coverages.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 12 Sep. 2025
The actress has become known for her partnership with director Sofia Coppola stemming all the way back to her 1999 film The Virgin Suicides, and has gone on to work with the famous director on other cult fave projects including Marie Antoinette and 2017’s The Beguiled.
—Katherine Singh, Refinery29, 9 Sep. 2025
Even though Josh and Arteta have a good relationship, stemming back to when Arteta played for the club, Lewis is the conduit between the club and ownership.
—Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025
The news was certainly a shock to many, with concerns stemming mostly from the unknown.
—Dana Reboe, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2025
And Joan and Nancy’s strained relationship — stemming back to their tumultuous childhoods with their abusive father — eventually leads Joan to seek employment elsewhere.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 2 Oct. 2024
Setting the right level of immigration might, however, prove arbitrary and difficult, not to mention insufficient for stemming flows, which may persist so long as the EU keeps expanding and life seems better in the west than in the east.
—Tej Parikh, Foreign Affairs, 30 Mar. 2017
Tyler Kingkade, NBC news, 14 Oct. 2025
The sport of canyoneering involves rappelling, down-climbing, wading, and stemming, or stretching your arms and legs across the narrowest section of a canyon and using pressure to slowly progress.
—Nicholas Derenzo, AFAR Media, 16 Sep. 2025
Wilcox’s defenses have multiple fronts using four and three down linemen, stemming on the same play and disguised coverages.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 12 Sep. 2025
The actress has become known for her partnership with director Sofia Coppola stemming all the way back to her 1999 film The Virgin Suicides, and has gone on to work with the famous director on other cult fave projects including Marie Antoinette and 2017’s The Beguiled.
—Katherine Singh, Refinery29, 9 Sep. 2025
Even though Josh and Arteta have a good relationship, stemming back to when Arteta played for the club, Lewis is the conduit between the club and ownership.
—Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025
The news was certainly a shock to many, with concerns stemming mostly from the unknown.
—Dana Reboe, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2025
And Joan and Nancy’s strained relationship — stemming back to their tumultuous childhoods with their abusive father — eventually leads Joan to seek employment elsewhere.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 2 Oct. 2024
Setting the right level of immigration might, however, prove arbitrary and difficult, not to mention insufficient for stemming flows, which may persist so long as the EU keeps expanding and life seems better in the west than in the east.
—Tej Parikh, Foreign Affairs, 30 Mar. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stemming
Verb
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Unusually warm and dry weather from late September into early October may be delaying peak fall color in some places, and could also result in a shorter, less vibrant season, said Adam Schneider, assistant professor of biology at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, in a recent blog post.—
Jim Higgins,
jsonline.com,
17 Oct. 2025
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For many families and vulnerable individuals, the cost could be prohibitive, potentially delaying or blocking access.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Phil Rinn was among those who felt the momentum needed to continue through a general strike, halting the flow of work and consumerism until substantial changes were made.—
Stephanie Murray,
AZCentral.com,
18 Oct. 2025
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The plaintiffs in the New York suit seek a declaration that the surveillance program is unconstitutional, an injunction halting its operation, and an order requiring the government to purge any records derived from online monitoring.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The metro Detroit rallies have advocated for causes including stopping immigration crackdowns, stopping authoritarianism, health care, maintaining a positive relationship with Canada amid tariffs, declaring Detroit a sanctuary city, stopping deaths in Gaza and more.—
Darcie Moran,
Freep.com,
17 Oct. 2025
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Nihi has 25 of Sumba’s beloved sandalwood horses, released from their stable once a day to run free through the shallows, stopping to roll around in the sand and nip at each other.—
Katie Lockhart,
Travel + Leisure,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Still, ending the war always required that Hamas agree to a deal—perhaps an ugly one, certainly an imperfect one, but one that would bring a stop to the killing.—
Mohammed R. Mhawish,
New Yorker,
14 Oct. 2025
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After Voodoo, D’Angelo went over a decade without releasing music, finally ending that long hiatus at the end of 2014 with Black Messiah.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Udine, Italy Reuters — Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched Tuesday in the northern Italian city of Udine before Italy’s World Cup soccer qualifier against Israel, concluding their mostly peaceful protest with clashes involving police.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
14 Oct. 2025
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As the concluding chapter of Wicked‘s big-screen adaptation approaches, Marissa Bode is opening up about how the movie does away with an ableist plot point.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Trump characterized the cities as in crisis and accused leaders of impeding immigration operations.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
9 Oct. 2025
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Turmail pointed to the Brent Spence Bridge’s paralyzed development as a prime example of regulations, including permitting requirements, impeding progress.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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While Fleck has had success against the Huskers, his team’s two main problems (tackling and blocking) haven’t been resolved.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
16 Oct. 2025
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The unusually large protest crippled traffic in the heart of the Belgian capital, blocking major roads.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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As military spending crowds out productive investments, hindering growth and innovation, Russia continues to rapidly exhaust its reserves, with only about $50 billion in liquid assets left, and the budget runs a 2% GDP deficit.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
15 Oct. 2025
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Mounting debt has been hindering savings for many Americans.—
Sharon Epperson,
CNBC,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stemming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stemming. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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