“The government decided that stern measures had to be taken to quell the uprising.”

“Ricky's mother's expression was stern after she discovered that he had skipped school again.”

“You could continue to the stern and pass over a salvage hole towards the sternmost pair of 6 inch guns.”

“At least 23 of the 118 sailors on board are known to have survived the blast, taking refuge in the submarine's sternmost section.”

“The sternmost sections of the upper two decks were open and, not surprisingly, were cold and wet.”

“Soothed again, but only soothed to deeper gloom, Ahab, who had sterned off from the whale, sat intently watching his final wanings from the now tranquil boat.”

“All he really needs to do now is start coming up with the goods and even his sternest critics could be silenced.”

“The government wants them to be dealt with by the sternest of Wahhabi religious scholars.”

“It is the bad, that ever calls forth the sternest energies of human nature.”