stem the tide

Idioms  

1. 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]

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Example Sentences

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

Newsom called for an expansion of the state’s film and TV tax credit program late last year in an attempt to stem the tide of productions moving to other states or countries with lucrative incentive packages.

From Los Angeles Times

Recent legislation passed by the state legislature and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom raised the cap for the film and TV tax credit to $750 million, up from $330 million, a move that Hollywood insiders said would increase the number of productions shot in California and potentially stem the tide of so-called runaway production to other states and countries that offer generous incentive packages.

From Los Angeles Times