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I was looking for the meaning of the verb (とどめる) and how it differs from
(とめる). I understood that (とどめる) means (to stop "potentially" from moving). But
how does that meaning relate to the following sentences?

１．家族を郷里にとどめたまま、兵役に出る。

２．事件の一部始終を記録にとどめる。

３．被害を最小限にとどめる。
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2019-06-16T10:55:55.073
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question
meaning word-choice verbs sentence
Verb (とどめる) and its meaning in these sentences
とどめる is the final blow!

But otherwise, just look up a dictionary:

> とどめる (v1,vt) to stop; to stay (e.g. the night); to cease; to put an end to;
> to contain; to keep (in position, in place); to limit; to record (e.g. a
> fact); to retain; (P)
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2019-06-26T19:05:46.213
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The basic meaning of とどめる is, as
[大辞林](https://www.weblio.jp/content/%E3%81%A8%E3%81%A9%E3%82%81%E3%82%8B)
would have it,

> ①動いているもの、動こうとするものをとめる。抑止する。「足を—めて眺める」「席を立とうとするのを—める」
>
> Roughly, "To stop something or someone that is moving or is trying to
> move/about to move. To deter."

The various other common meanings/usages of とどめる can be seen as extensions of
that basic idea of _holding or fixing something in place_ and thus preventing
it from moving, or from transgressing some limit.

From 大辞林, again:

> ②滞在させておく。残しておく。「家族を郷里に—めて単身上京する」
>
> ③あとに残しておく。この世に残す。「議事録に—める」「記憶に—める」「足跡を—める」
>
> ④その状態のまま残す。「現職に—める」「原形を—めないほどのこわれ方」
>
> ⑤（「…にとどめる」の形で）ある範囲内に限定する。「誤りを指摘するに—める」「出費を最小限に—める」

Your example sentence 1. corresponds to definition ② above, your sentence 2.
corresponds to definition ③, and your sentence 3. corresponds to definition ⑤.

Related: ["Why are there two readings of
留める?}"](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/21133/why-are-there-two-
readings-of-%E7%95%99%E3%82%81%E3%82%8B)
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