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]

---

Example Sentences

I observed the left parties and protesters in France working toward a broad coalition in civil society that might stem the tide of the far right.

From Salon • Mar. 28, 2026

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 • Feb. 16, 2026

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 • Nov. 23, 2025

But after stumbling its way through the first eight games of the Muss era, here was a chance, in its Big Ten debut, for USC to stem the tide of those early-season struggles.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 5, 2024

She is unable to stem the tide of junk mail that will continue to arrive for years, addressed to her dead husband.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri