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.
These relentless raids have sewn fear and terror into immigrant communities. Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 21 June 2025 At the midsection, detailing that strikes a similarity to lightning strikes was also sewn onto the dress. Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 20 June 2025 The sides of the curtain are sewn with 70 ornamental strips, each representing a specific skill set. Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 19 June 2025 The canine's head is sewed on top of the dude's body, and Dog Man is born, a hybrid supercop with kung fu moves and mad fetch skills who battles a supervillain cat (Pete Davidson). Brian Truitt, USA Today, 14 June 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

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Cite this Entry

“Sew.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sew. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

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

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