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

no pressure … on newspapers to hew to the official line

—N.Y. Times Mag.

hewer noun

HEW

2 of 2

abbreviation

Department of Health, Education, and Welfare

Synonyms

Verb

• chop (down)
• cut (down)
• fell
• mow

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

Residents hew closer to coastlines, from Central California to southeast Alaska, where salmon congregate. —Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024

And indeed, the language of the bill hews closely to that argument. —Emily Baker-White, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024

The book hews close to its title, offering a 600+ page, thoroughly researched look at one of Hollywood’s most glamorous couples, who were married twice: once from 1964 to 1974, and then again from 1975 to 1976. —Carly Tagen-Dye, Peoplemag, 20 Mar. 2024

Voters there tend to hew more towards the GOP establishment, and Rubio carried the county by 2 points back in 2016. —Bridget Bowman, NBC News, 15 Jan. 2024

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

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
• rough-hew

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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