Crossword Dictionary

stem

To stop the flow or spread (typically of a liquid).

Synonyms: dam, dam up, stop

Wordplays
 

“If the wind will only freshen a little, we shall be able to stem the first of the flood.”

“But he, like Canute, will not stem the spring tide.”

“To stem the tide, so to speak, the Pebble Beach Company has undertaken major projects at major expense.”

“We needed to stem her blood flow immediately, so I ran to the counter and threw all the rags I could find to my mother.”

“Stemming the stream of water would be no easy task, but if we wanted our horses to have any chance of crossing this treacherous obstacle, then we would need to create a blockade of some sort.”