sew

verb

ˈsō 

sewed; sewn ˈsōn  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

ˌsō-ə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

sewable

ˈsō-ə-bəl 

adjective

Synonyms of sew

• stitch
• suture

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

The fabric is traditionally woven on narrow looms in Ghana's northern savannah and sewn into distinctive styles, with the regional identifiers visible in its stripe patterns and in the number of stitch lines. —ABC News, 23 Feb. 2026

Texas State's focus remains on the present, but Friday night, fans saw the seeds of a conference rivalry being sewn. —Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 21 Feb. 2026

Pieces are finished with a custom label sewn on a vintage shuttle loom. —Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 20 Feb. 2026

Among the store’s exclusive offerings are bras and pillows sewn from midcentury National Parks souvenir pillowcases, appliquéd T-shirts and other keepsakes. —Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 19 Feb. 2026

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

Phrases Containing sew

• sew up

Rhymes for sew

• beau
• beaux
• blow
• boe
• bro
• coe
• crow
• doe
• doh
• dough
• eau
• eaux

Kids Definition

sew

verb

ˈsō 

sewed; sewn ˈsōn  or sewed; sewing

1

: to join or fasten by stitches

sew on a button

2

: to work with needle and thread