stem the tide

Idioms

Stop the course of a trend or tendency, as in It is not easy to stem the tide of public opinion. This idiom uses stem in the sense of “stop” or “restrain.” [Mid-1800s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Barca could not stem the tide and Girona forced their way in front after 87 minutes, with Fran Beltran stroking home from the edge of the area.

From Barron's

City were unable to stem the tide of Tottenham pressure and Solanke produced a sensational scorpion kick equaliser from Conor Gallagher's cross.

From Barron's

England head coach Steve Borthwick sent on replacements Will Stuart, Fin Baxter, Tom Curry and Henry Pollock to try to stem the tide but Argentina continued to advance regardless.

From BBC

"If you're swimming in red ink, an infusion of cash helps stem the tide," he said of the bailout.

From BBC

It hasn’t done much to stem the tide.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023