strew

verb

ˈstrü 

strewed; strewed or strewn ˈstrün  ; strewing

transitive verb

1

: to spread by scattering

2

: to cover by or as if by scattering something

strewing the highways with litter

3

: to become dispersed over as if scattered

4

: to spread abroad : disseminate

Synonyms

• bestrew
• dot
• pepper
• scatter
• sow
• spot
• spray
• sprinkle

Examples of strew in a Sentence

She strewed the birdseed on the ground.

sidewalks strewed with trash left by the parade watchers

Recent Examples on the Web

The relationship is strewn with missteps and misconceptions. —Adrian Dearnell, Forbes, 5 Sep. 2024

In her apartment, life and work compete for square footage; her living room is strewn with books, pamphlets, and piles of correspondence. —Hazlitt, 4 Sep. 2024

Videos shared widely on social media and geolocated by CNN showed dozens of bodies strewn across the muddy banks of the Naf River that separates Myanmar from Bangladesh. —Avery Schmitz, CNN, 12 Aug. 2024

The game helped inspires some details, right down to the amount of garbage that would be strewn across the wasteland. —Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 16 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English strewen, strowen, from Old English strewian, strēowian; akin to Old High German strewen to strew, Latin struere to heap up, sternere to spread out, Greek stornynai

First Known Use

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

Kids Definition

strew

verb

ˈstrü 

strewed; strewed or strewn ˈstrün  ; strewing

1

: to spread (as seeds) by scattering

2

: to cover by or as if by scattering something over or on

strewing the highways with litter

3

: to spread around as if sowing seeds : disseminate