sew

verb

ˈsō How to pronounce sew (audio)
sewed; sewn ˈsōn How to pronounce sew (audio) or sewed; sewing
Synonyms of sewnext

transitive verb

1
: to unite or fasten by stitches
2
: to close or enclose by sewing
sew the money in a bag

intransitive verb

: to practice or engage in sewing
sewability
ˌsō-ə-ˈbi-lə-tē How to pronounce sew (audio)
noun
sewable
ˈsō-ə-bəl How to pronounce sew (audio)
adjective

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of sew in a Sentence

She sews her own dresses by hand. He sewed a patch onto his sleeve. I sewed the button back on the shirt. The surgeon sewed the wound shut. She designs her own dresses and sews in her free time.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The move to fully sew Hulu together with Disney+ comes after Disney — following two years of negotiating — closed its deal with Comcast to buy out NBCUniversal‘s one-third stake in Hulu in June 2025. — Todd Spangler, Variety, 6 Aug. 2025 Growing up, Alex Foxworth always had an interest in fashion thanks to her mother and grandmother — who was also a tailor, taught her how to sew and got her very first subscription to Teen Vogue. — Chyna Blackmon, Charlotte Observer, 31 July 2025 It is cut and sewn in America, and has a lifetime warranty. — Frank Witsil, Freep.com, 23 July 2025 And so Lindsey, you and I have to sew this relationship back up. — Jordana Comiter, People.com, 19 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for sew

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English sīwian; akin to Old High German siuwen to sew, Latin suere

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sew was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing sew

Rhymes for sew

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Browse Nearby Words

sevum
sew
sewage
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sew.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sew. Accessed 14 Aug. 2025.

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Kids Definition

sew

verb
ˈsō How to pronounce sew (audio)
sewed; sewn ˈsōn How to pronounce sew (audio) or sewed; sewing
1
: to join or fasten by stitches
sew on a button
2
: to work with needle and thread

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Nglish: Translation of sew for Spanish Speakers

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