The term 'stepmotherly' is an adjective used to describe someone who behaves in a way that is similar to a stepmother. It is often used to describe someone who is overly strict, demanding, or unkind. The crossword solution for the term 'stepmotherly' is 'NOVERCAL', which is an anagram of the word 'overcaln'. This suggests that someone who is stepmotherly is overly strict and demanding in their expectations.