hew

1 of 2

verb

ˈhyü 

hewed; hewed or hewn ˈhyün  ; 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 wilderness.

—J. 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

Each candidate tried to paint a picture of his opponent as a politician who will hew to the line of his respective political party.

—Sandra Constantine

hewer noun

HEW

2 of 2

abbreviation

Department of Health, Education, and Welfare

Synonyms of hew

Verb

• mow
• fell

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

The pastoral feel of the music, and Murdoch’s soft, tremulous tenor conjures Nick Drake, but the content of the songs hews closer to the urban fever dreams of Martin Amis, whose 1995 novel The Information traces similar lines of fading-empire disenfranchisement. —Elizabeth Nelson, Pitchfork, 22 Jan. 2026

Views on the shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis hew closely to party lines. —Anthony Salvanto, CBS News, 18 Jan. 2026

But a blanket warning hews too close to gossip for my taste. —Eric Thomas, Baltimore Sun, 16 Jan. 2026

Either say something helpful (and objectively true) or say nothing at all; a blanket warning hews too close to gossip for my taste. —R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 16 Jan. 2026

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

Phrases Containing hew

• hew to
• hew to the line
• rough-hew

Rhymes for hew

• blew
• blue
• boo
• brew
• chew
• chou
• clue
• coo
• coup
• crew
• cue
• dew

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

hew

verb

ˈhyü 

hewed; hewed or hewn ˈhyün  ; 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