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
Trim off dead roots, bulbs, stems, and canes.
—
Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Oct. 2025
In tandem, Molly wears a Mango jacket, pink Charlie Beads bloomers, pale pink Hereu flats, and an APC demi-lune bag the color of the pincushion stems in the reference photo.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 23 Oct. 2025
The impasse stems largely from disputes over spending levels for domestic programs, border security and foreign aid.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
To winterize hardy hibiscus, cut back the plant’s stems to a few inches above soil level once the foliage begins to die.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 20 Oct. 2025
Splatter paints, stems for flowers, spitball fights!
—Lauren Silbert, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
Elliott’s relationship with Eschenbach stems back over a decade to his prior role as president and COO of VMware, where Elliott was a very active shareholder.
—Kenneth Squire, CNBC, 20 Sep. 2025
Many experiments use hydroponic setups where seedlings are dunked into water with plastic particles, letting leaves and stems touch the mix directly.
—Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 19 Sep. 2025
Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Oct. 2025
In tandem, Molly wears a Mango jacket, pink Charlie Beads bloomers, pale pink Hereu flats, and an APC demi-lune bag the color of the pincushion stems in the reference photo.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 23 Oct. 2025
The impasse stems largely from disputes over spending levels for domestic programs, border security and foreign aid.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
To winterize hardy hibiscus, cut back the plant’s stems to a few inches above soil level once the foliage begins to die.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 20 Oct. 2025
Splatter paints, stems for flowers, spitball fights!
—Lauren Silbert, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
Elliott’s relationship with Eschenbach stems back over a decade to his prior role as president and COO of VMware, where Elliott was a very active shareholder.
—Kenneth Squire, CNBC, 20 Sep. 2025
Many experiments use hydroponic setups where seedlings are dunked into water with plastic particles, letting leaves and stems touch the mix directly.
—Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stems
Verb
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Incumbent Eric Adams will serve the remainder of his term in office, which ends on December 31, 2025.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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Waitsfield After passing through Hancock, Route 100 technically ends, but keep going for a few more miles on the Mad River Byway, which is also a part of the scenic byway.—
Megan Margulies,
Travel + Leisure,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But that was before the arrival of teplizumab, a monoclonal antibody approved in late 2022 that delays the advance of the illness and may even halt it at stage 2 in some people.—
Tara Haelle,
Scientific American,
14 Oct. 2025
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That clogs the judicial system, wastes limited resources, and delays justice for those with legitimate grievances.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The first death happens when the heart stops beating and the brain stops working.—
Meagan Jordan,
Rolling Stone,
23 Oct. 2025
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The film has played HorrorHound, Cinema Scares and Bloody Mirror, with more festival stops on deck.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This designation halts outpatient and elective procedures and ensures more beds are open for emergencies.—
Briana Waxman,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
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Park websites and social media accounts also go dark, fire management plans are paused, and wildlife tracking halts midseason.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Water molecules migrate toward the saltier side, but the membrane blocks salt ions from passing.—
Tejasri Gururaj,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
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So when a person takes, say, a high dose of the motion sickness drug scopolamine — which blocks the effects of acetylcholine — things start to go awry.—
Jon Hamilton,
NPR,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Week 8 of the NFL season concludes with the Washington Commanders visiting the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
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Dudik concludes that incorporating graphene as an ion-to-electron transducer enables electrodes to deliver exceptional sensitivity, reproducibility, and overall robustness.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stems.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stems. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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