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
A lot of it stems, frankly, from Levin himself.
—
Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2026
Mucus oozed out of the coral stems, a telltale response to trauma.
—Jeffrey Marlow, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
My in-room Japanese breakfast was another highlight, with hjiki seaweed and red snow crab, stems of earthy burdock root, crunchy snow pea with yuzu, and buttery, roasted Greenland halibut.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Apr. 2026
The prevailing idea stems in part from observations that most of the moon's lava flows are concentrated on the near side, forming the dark plains, or lunar maria, visible from Earth.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 3 Apr. 2026
The decision to reduce the facility’s size stems in part from rising costs.
—Cierra Morgan, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Cut flower stems to the ground after all flower buds on the scape have finished blooming.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2026
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
Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2026
Mucus oozed out of the coral stems, a telltale response to trauma.
—Jeffrey Marlow, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
My in-room Japanese breakfast was another highlight, with hjiki seaweed and red snow crab, stems of earthy burdock root, crunchy snow pea with yuzu, and buttery, roasted Greenland halibut.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Apr. 2026
The prevailing idea stems in part from observations that most of the moon's lava flows are concentrated on the near side, forming the dark plains, or lunar maria, visible from Earth.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 3 Apr. 2026
The decision to reduce the facility’s size stems in part from rising costs.
—Cierra Morgan, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Cut flower stems to the ground after all flower buds on the scape have finished blooming.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stems
Verb
-
Willy drives it onstage through a giant door at the start and ends his life therein.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
10 Apr. 2026
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Because the tournament is built around ritual and tradition, Marty Smith always starts and ends his Masters the same way.—
Rick Maese,
Washington Post,
10 Apr. 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
-
The legislation also stops courts from considering religious codes, including Islamic Sharia law, in legal cases.—
Lawrence Mower,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
-
The fun on 404 Day stops with Atlanta United.—
Amna Subhan,
AJC.com,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Doing so triggers an automatic stay, which immediately halts most wage garnishments while the case is processed.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
-
And even if Israel halts its strikes on Iran, there’s no guarantee Tehran will reciprocate.—
Abbas Al Lawati,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
During this roughly 40-minute period, the moon blocks the radio signals needed for mission controllers to maintain contact with the astronauts.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
6 Apr. 2026
-
The cosmos will even treat the Artemis II astronauts to a total solar eclipse as the moon temporarily blocks the sun from their perspective.—
Marcia Dunn,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
They must be formally submitted to the International Astronomical Union after the mission concludes.—
Ryan Brennan
April 7,
Kansas City Star,
7 Apr. 2026
-
That concludes today’s newsletter.—
Senior Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stems.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stems. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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