sewed; sewn ˈsōn How to pronounce sew (audio) or sewed; sewing

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 noun
sewable adjective

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 ethos and history of surfing, connected to early royals in Hawaii, is tightly sewn to the Polynesian culture. Wendy Altschuler, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024 The movement quickly caught on, and the hashtag was used by athletes around the world, the UN, the Spanish government and even sewn onto the Seville men’s team shirts. Jamie Lang, Variety, 2 Oct. 2024 Intelligence agencies have warned Russia and China have launched cyber campaigns of their own to sew chaos, with Russia allegedly seeking to damage Vice President Kamala Harris' bid for the White House. Robert Legare, CBS News, 26 Sep. 2024 Embellishments that are sewn on can easily tear in the washer and if they are glued, the intensity of the hot water can break down the adhesive. Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 2 Nov. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near sew

Cite this Entry

“Sew.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sew. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

sew

verb
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

More from Merriam-Webster on sew

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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