as in ends
to stop the progress or spread of (something)
efforts to stem the dramatic decline of an endangered species
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stems
The armored one skirts stems, mushrooms, and sleeping crickets before sinking her mandibles into the fallen leaf of a hydrangea.
—
María Ospina, The Dial, 31 Mar. 2026
That’s not to defend his piece but rather to consider the context from which all his work stems.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2026
Set stems and leaves aside separately.
—Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Mar. 2026
Just keep it a couple of inches away from plant crowns and stems to avoid rotting.
—ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
The staff overhaul stems, in part, from those observations.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 20 Mar. 2026
For larger blooms on main branches, remove side shoots and stems growing at odd angles.
—Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 16 Mar. 2026
Fossils of early land plants, such as Cooksonia, date back to about 430 million years ago and show small branching stems only an inch or two tall.
—Erin Potter, The Conversation, 16 Mar. 2026
To store fresh dill leaves, wrap the cut dill stems loosely in a damp paper towel and store it in a resealable bag in your refrigerator’s crisper drawer.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2026
María Ospina, The Dial, 31 Mar. 2026
That’s not to defend his piece but rather to consider the context from which all his work stems.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2026
Set stems and leaves aside separately.
—Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Mar. 2026
Just keep it a couple of inches away from plant crowns and stems to avoid rotting.
—ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
The staff overhaul stems, in part, from those observations.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 20 Mar. 2026
For larger blooms on main branches, remove side shoots and stems growing at odd angles.
—Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 16 Mar. 2026
Fossils of early land plants, such as Cooksonia, date back to about 430 million years ago and show small branching stems only an inch or two tall.
—Erin Potter, The Conversation, 16 Mar. 2026
To store fresh dill leaves, wrap the cut dill stems loosely in a damp paper towel and store it in a resealable bag in your refrigerator’s crisper drawer.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stems
Verb
-
The move will allow TSA employees to get their paychecks as early as March 30 instead of waiting for back pay after the shutdown ends.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Loose ends and compelling payoffs await after a subdued and slow-ish first frame that struggles with a balance between dark brooding and uneven lull.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
That delays emptying of the stomach.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
27 Mar. 2026
-
But having firefighters wait before starting preparations also delays when they can be dispatched to emergencies, which has lengthened response times — and has likely cost many lives across the city, the 60-page audit says.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Much of physicists’ intuition stops being helpful in an expanding universe.—
Shalma Wegsman,
Quanta Magazine,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The run hits major arenas including Chase Center in San Francisco, United Center in Chicago, TD Garden in Boston and stops across Canada, before closing out at the band’s home turf.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Global oil prices have spiked as Iran halts traffic through the narrow Strait of Hormuz, where one-fifth of the world’s oil typically passes through from the Persian Gulf to customers worldwide.—
Raf Sanchez,
NBC news,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Debt consolidation does not carry a legal mechanism that immediately halts wage garnishment the way bankruptcy does, at least not in most forms.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The neighborhood/area The hotel sits in the North Loop area of Minneapolis, blocks away from the iconic Hennepin Street Bridge with easy access to the riverfront parks along the Mississippi, with their great cycling and walking trails and varied perspectives on the city.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The orientation of entrances blocks front desk employees from seeing activity in the lobby area.—
Elliot Mann,
Twin Cities,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
As the University of Bath team concludes, embedding living components into concrete could allow infrastructure to heal itself from within, extending service life and mitigating climate impact.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Compiled by the Associated Press That concludes today’s newsletter.—
Senior Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stems.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stems. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
