sew

verb

ˈsō 

sewed; sewn ˈsōn  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

ˌsō-ə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

sewable

ˈsō-ə-bəl 

adjective

Synonyms

• darn
• stitch
• suture

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

Here, the bear will take a turn as a tailor, sewing the finishing touches on ties to give to his family as holiday gifts while sipping on cups of Ralph’s Coffee and grabbing tools from a workstation and waving to visitors. —Jean E. Palmieri, WWD, 22 Nov. 2024

During that time, rural Americans gifted their friends and family food and small handmade wooden or sewn presents. —Allie Volpe, Vox, 19 Nov. 2024

In her bucket of fries is a scroll telling her that a hidden immunity idol is sewn into the corner of the tarp in the middle of the camp. —Brian Moylan, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024

Over the next 10 months, MacLeod learned how to draft patterns and sew complex garments by hand as part of the school’s first class of international students beside four other Americans and one French citizen. —Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 18 Oct. 2024

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

Phrases Containing sew

• sew up

Kids Definition

sew

verb

ˈsō 

sewed; sewn ˈsōn  or sewed; sewing

1

: to join or fasten by stitches

sew on a button

2

: to work with needle and thread