hew

1 of 2

verb

hewed; hewed or hewn ˈhyün How to pronounce hew (audio) ; hewing

transitive verb

1
: to cut with blows of a heavy cutting instrument
roughly hewn logs
2
: to cut down by blows of an ax
hew a tree
3
: to give form or shape to with or as if with heavy cutting blows
hewed their farms from the wildernessJ. T. Shotwell

intransitive verb

1
: to make cutting blows (as with an ax)
2
: conform, adhere
hew to tradition
often used in the phrase hew to the line
no pressure … on newspapers to hew to the official lineN.Y. Times Mag.
hewer noun

HEW

2 of 2

abbreviation

Department of Health, Education, and Welfare

Examples of hew in a Sentence

Verb They hewed logs to build a cabin. The walls are built of stones hewn by skilled craftsmen.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Gaiman adapted the show from his original 1990 novel with Terry Pratchett, and the first season hewed closely to the plot of the book, chronicling Armageddon through the eyes of Aziraphale and Crowley. Devan Coggan, EW.com, 14 Dec. 2023 They are thought to have been hewn between the 12th and 17th centuries, after Polynesians voyaged to the middle of the earth’s largest ocean in search of new lands, came upon a fertile, unpopulated island, and settled there. Mark Johanson, Travel + Leisure, 19 Jan. 2024 Bayona and his team were eager to craft a new tale that hewed as closely as possible to true events. USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2024 But so far, the group’s political giving has hewed closely to causes that could help Democrats. Kenneth P. Vogel, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2024 On the whole, the data painted a picture of deep partisan divides in Congress, with the outcomes of most votes hewing closely to party lines. Tia Yang, ABC News, 29 Jan. 2024 Chris Pine's winning take on a bard is the driving force here, but Michelle Rodriguez's barbarian and (an underutilized) Regé-Jean Page's paladin steal plenty of scenes by really hewing true to their characters' alignment chart. Ars Staff, Ars Technica, 25 Dec. 2023 Lucid is still mum on many tech details, but executives said the Gravity would hew closely to the Air’s power-train choices and specifications, which currently include Grand Touring, Touring, and Pure models. IEEE Spectrum, 18 Nov. 2023 In early drafts, the script hewed close to Grann's book, focusing primarily on the early days of the FBI and the investigators who helped uncover the killings. EW.com, 28 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hew.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English hēawan; akin to Old High German houwan to hew, Lithuanian kauti to forge, Latin cudere to beat

First Known Use

Verb

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

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

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near hew

Cite this Entry

“Hew.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hew. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hew

verb
hewed; hewed or hewn ˈhyün How to pronounce hew (audio) ; hewing
1
: to chop down
hew trees
2
: to make or shape by cutting with an ax
a cabin built of rough-hewn logs
3
: to stick close to : adhere
hew to the established rules
hewer noun

Medical Definition

HEW

abbreviation
Department of Health, Education, and Welfare

More from Merriam-Webster on hew

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!