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

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 To avoid this, prune damaged and broken stems off your plants in fall using clean, sharp pruning cuts. — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 2 Nov. 2026 Nasdaq's growing appeal stems in part from revisions to its index inclusion mechanisms and listing rules implemented earlier this year. — CNBC, 28 Oct. 2026 Reflecting the decade, the scent has a more minimalist olfactory profile of flower stems and gentle musk. — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2026 Keep the soil lightly moist and trim a few outer stems at a time to encourage continuous growth. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 23 Oct. 2026 Advertisement Give broccoli stems a chance Jonathan Deutsch has watched fellow cooks buy cases of broccoli, cut off the florets, and throw away the stems. — Angela Haupt, Time, 16 Oct. 2026 The novel’s conceit stems in part from my attempt to grapple with my family’s and my own trauma and what constitutes truth. — Via Scribner, Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2026 After cutting open both stems and swapping the batteries between earbuds, iFixit noticed the buds could no longer be charged. — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2026 The reason Dancing With the Stars doesn’t air live for its West Coast audience stems back to local news and the coveted primetime programming slots. — Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stems
  1. ends
  2. delays
  3. stops
  4. halts
  5. blocks
  6. concludes
Verb
  • The five-episode limited series takes viewers on an emotional journey, opening with a shocking first scene which is also how the series ends.
    — Reshma Gopaldas, IndieWire, 4 Nov. 2026
  • But even after the uneven Multiverse Saga ends (hopefully on a high note), Marvel Studios won’t be stopping.
    — Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of ends
Verb
  • If supply chain volatility delays those transformers, the impact extends beyond construction sequencing.
    — Jayashree Arunkumar, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Unexcused absences in three consecutive elections freeze tax IDs, block nonvoters from applying to state jobs, hinders loans from state banks, and delays the issuance of passports.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of delays
Verb
  • At some point, optimism stops feeling like hope and starts feeling like obligation.
    — Stephan Pechdimaldji, New York Daily News, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Morgan refuses Ancker’s offer outright and stops just short of spitting in the man’s face.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of stops
Verb
  • The council voted unanimously on the ordinance, which halts new oil and gas drilling in the city and phases out existing production over the next 20 years.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The Bears go three-and-out, and the wind halts the ensuing punt, landing at the 15-yard line.
    — Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of halts
Verb
  • Satellite thermal sensors can now reveal which blocks bake hottest after sundown, and city planners are using this data to reprioritize projects.
    — Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026
  • That looks like a password reset that blocks off an entire morning.
    — Tal Dagan, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of blocks
Verb
  • The report concludes that the future of denim finishing will not be defined by individual technologies alone but by the ability to manage complex processes in a more controlled, transparent, and continuously improvable manner.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Awaiting Artemis The gallery concludes with a space reserved to exhibit the Artemis I capsule, the spacecraft that flew without astronauts to the Moon in 2022.
    — Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of concludes

Browse Nearby Words

stemming
stems
stench
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stems.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stems. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of quondam

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

The Words of the Week - Nov. 6

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All