as in ends
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 stems
Today’s fusion of private wealth and political power stems in part from a half-century of what many view as misguided Supreme Court decisions.
—
Daniel Weiner, Time, 9 Mar. 2026
Determinate varieties can produce very heavy crop loads and develop shorter, thicker stems to support the weight of fruit.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 9 Mar. 2026
Fruit Salad To keep things chic and simple, opt for a neutral base and ask for cherry, strawberry, orange, and blueberry designs in muted shades, with pale green stems to keep the look fun but not too outré.
—Audrey Noble, Vogue, 8 Mar. 2026
Layer the leaves and stems over the soil.
—Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
The plants are soft and fuzzy, and their arching stems bear clusters of upright flowers in fall when other shade plants have finished blooming.
—Lynn McAlpine, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Mar. 2026
The only maintenance necessary is pruning woody stems to encourage the plant to produce new growth.
—Jamie McIntosh, The Spruce, 3 Mar. 2026
Daniel Weiner, Time, 9 Mar. 2026
Determinate varieties can produce very heavy crop loads and develop shorter, thicker stems to support the weight of fruit.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 9 Mar. 2026
Fruit Salad To keep things chic and simple, opt for a neutral base and ask for cherry, strawberry, orange, and blueberry designs in muted shades, with pale green stems to keep the look fun but not too outré.
—Audrey Noble, Vogue, 8 Mar. 2026
Layer the leaves and stems over the soil.
—Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
The plants are soft and fuzzy, and their arching stems bear clusters of upright flowers in fall when other shade plants have finished blooming.
—Lynn McAlpine, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Mar. 2026
The only maintenance necessary is pruning woody stems to encourage the plant to produce new growth.
—Jamie McIntosh, The Spruce, 3 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stems
Verb
-
Before Colbert’s late night CBS talk show ends on Thursday, May 21, 2026, his buddy and competitor Jimmy Fallon was sure to drop by the Ed Sullivan Theater and drop some well wishes.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Mar. 2026
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Once the season ends, the Gophers plan to apply for medical redshirts on behalf of Willis and Vaihola.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Too much light in the evening — that extra hour from daylight saving time — delays that surge and the cycle gets out of sync.—
Lauran Neergaard,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Too much light in the evening — that extra hour from daylight saving time — delays that surge and the cycle gets out of sync.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This creates a temporary, dynamic obstacle that slows other molecules or stops them from moving through.—
Yasemin Saplakoglu,
Quanta Magazine,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Also, back home, Lip Smacking now offers a foodie tour in San Jose – at Santana Row – which stops at four of the center’s top restaurants.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The United States could suspend transfers of those funds unless Baghdad halts the financing of the PMF.—
Benjamin Weinthal,
FOXNews.com,
6 Mar. 2026
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The moratorium halts approvals for sewer capacity allocation for new developments within the Baltimore City Sewer Service Area (SSA), according to the department.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The lawsuit says the administration's decision to place the firm on what is effectively a blacklist that blocks Pentagon suppliers from using Claude is an attempt to punish the company over its AI guardrails.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
9 Mar. 2026
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As their bold production takes shape, a rival white theatre mounts its own Richard III just blocks away, threatening to undermine, overshadow, and outmaneuver them.—
Cincinnati Enquirer,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Some questions may be adapted into full columns, and transcripts of the chats remain available after each session concludes.—
Carolyn Hax,
Washington Post,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Free agent signings begin virtually as soon as the draft concludes.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stems.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stems. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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