stem the tide

stem the tide idiom
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]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Comments


Do you have more to add? Sign in to share your linguistic knowledge or observation.

Connect with Facebook