What does stanch mean?

"Stanch" means to stop or check the flow of a fluid, especially blood. It's often used in a medical context, like "The doctor stanched the bleeding from the wound."

Here are some synonyms for stanch:

* Stop

* Check

* Arrest

* Stem

* Control

It can also be used figuratively to mean to stop or suppress something:

* "The government tried to stanch the flow of illegal drugs."

* "The news of the victory helped to stanch the rumors of defeat."