sew up

verb

sewed up; sewn up or sewed up; sewing up; sews up

transitive verb

1
: to mend completely by sewing
2
: to get exclusive use or control of
3
: to make certain of : be assured of
the team sewed up the division title

Examples of sew up in a Sentence

sewed up the available openings so that no one else had a chance to play golf
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Phillies’ loss on Saturday sewed up the top seed for the Brewers entering the postseason. Sam Blum, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025 Some people think the Best Actress award is all but sewn up for Buckley, but Best Actor could be the most competitive category on the ballot. Joe Reid, Vulture, 27 Sep. 2025 Palestinian doctors whisked him away before sewing up his wounds in a kitchen because there were not enough operating rooms at Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital, Gaza City – in a fraught scene of impossible triage and medical improvisation replicated across the strip. Christina MacFarlane, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2025 So, after five months with the Colorado Avalanche and what looks like a spot sewn up on the NHL roster before training camp even began, how did Middleton approach his first exhibition contest? Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 24 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sew up

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sew up was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sew up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sew%20up. Accessed 3 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

sew up

verb
1
: to get exclusive use or control of
2
: to make certain of
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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