stems

verb

present tense third-person singular of stem
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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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 Summary Productivity expert Neal Schore challenges conventional wisdom, arguing that true time loss stems not from poor planning but from internal factors like fear, overthinking, and emotional habits. — Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026 Bresnahan’s passion for education stems back to her childhood. — Cam'ron Hardy, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026 Cut back leggy stems to just above a set of side shoots, which should grow more vigorously after pruning. — Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 12 Aug. 2026 The curiosity surrounding this kind of institution today stems precisely from the question of how such a school can still exist. — Roberto Prieto, Variety, 11 Aug. 2026 The couple’s friend Adrienne Finch officiated at an altar decorated with a mix of orchids, hydrangeas, and stems. — Shelby Wax, Vogue, 11 Aug. 2026 To make that part faster, cut the seeds and stems out of the peppers, quarter the onion, and throw it all in a food processor, then pulse to chop. — ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026 Suckering can begin as ash trees become stressed by borers and produce small leafy stems near their base. — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stems
  1. ends
  2. delays
  3. stops
  4. halts
  5. blocks
  6. concludes
Verb
  • Amid Pride Park’s sea of black seats, there’s no real sense of where one stand ends and the next starts.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The Brazilian Association of Vegetable Oil Industries, or ABIOVE, said the Supreme Court ruling ends years of legal uncertainty and validates voluntary sustainability commitments adopted by traders.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of ends
Verb
  • The continuing resolution delays the prohibition on hemp products from November 12 until December 11, giving lawmakers time to regulate the popular consumer products instead of prohibiting them outright.
    — A.J. Herrington, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Cellphone use before bed delays the natural drop in cortisol that teenagers need to fall asleep, according to Alice Hoagland, PhD, director of the Insomnia Clinic at the Rochester Regional Sleep Disorder Center.
    — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of delays
Verb
  • The study stops well short of identifying the first artists by name.
    — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Here's where autonomy stops being binary and starts being a loop.
    — John Werner, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of stops
Verb
  • If shipping through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea halts, the world could face more economic pain.
    — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 24 July 2026
  • The robot immediately responds to the interruption and halts the operation, illustrating Unitree’s focus on continuous human-robot interaction and dynamic task adaptation.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 21 July 2026
Definition of halts
Verb
  • There is no statewide law banning dogs from riding in a vehicle, but an unrestrained pet that blocks your view or climbs into your lap can lead to a reckless driving citation.
    — Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Solar eclipse watchers have for centuries vividly described an eerie phenomenon known as shadow bands that appears just before and after totality — the period when the moon completely blocks the sun’s light and the sky goes dark.
    — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of blocks
Verb
  • When training concludes with small sided games, losing teams are punished with more running to end the session while the winning team can relax and watch.
    — Andy Jones, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Plus, the event concludes in the evening with a lantern-lighting ceremony in the Japanese Garden pond and Frog Pond.
    — Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of concludes

Browse Nearby Words

stemming
stems
stench
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Cite this Entry

“Stems.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stems. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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