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

All pieces have a vintage-effect wash and sanding details, a graphic label detailing the fabric sewn or printed inside the garment and Fendi’s signature yellow stitching throughout. — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 30 July 2026

More than 1,000 death-row inmates held in a unit of Iran’s Ghezel Hesar Prison have entered a third week of a mass hunger strike to protest regime executions, with some prisoners sewing their lips shut in protest, according to reports. — Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026

Surgical repair entails opening the scrotum to expose the exploded testicle, stopping any bleeding, removing any dead tissue, tucking the testicle back into the scrotum and sewing the tunica albuginea back together. — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026

And Bobby’s huge quilted crop top and wrap skirt show clear signs of being sewn and then taken apart and resewn. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 July 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
• beaut
• beaux
• blow
• 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