This is the 10317th most frequent Japanese word.
食い止め
"食い止め" means "to stop, prevent, or hold back (something undesirable)."
In this sentence, '食い止める' is used in the sense of 'preventing or stopping' an event or disaster, such as a flood.
彼らは洪水を食い止めるために堤防を強化した。
They reinforced the levee to prevent the flood.
Here, '食い止める' conveys the concept of stopping or controlling the spread of something negative, like a virus.
ウイルスの拡散を食い止める対策が必要です。
Measures are needed to stop the spread of the virus.
In this usage, '食い止める' involves the idea of preventing or halting unwanted behaviors, such as criminal activities.