stitch up
phrasal verb
stitched up; stitching up; stitches up
1
: to use a needle and thread to close a large cut or wound
The doctor stitched up his wound.
The doctor stitched him up.
2
British, informal
: to make (an innocent person) appear to be guilty of a crime : frame
They stitched him up for murder.
3
British, informal
: to do the final things that are needed to complete (something) in a successful way : to finish or do (something) successfully
The mayor stitched up a deal with the union.
We were ahead by 10 points and thought that we had the game stitched up.
Examples of stitch up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli, who rushed off the ice late in the third period with blood dripping from his face, suddenly reappeared — all stitched up and cleaned up — on the bench with only 90 seconds left, begging to get back on the ice to join the hunt for the tying goal.
—
Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 14 Dec. 2025
Walmart also sells yarn needles, both metal and plastic, which are perfect for stitching up your finished project.
—Maddie Topliff, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Dec. 2025
As an emergency medicine doctor who has stitched up many Thanksgiving injuries, Dr. Tony Cirillo urges home cooks to make sure their kitchen knives are sharp.
—Jonel Aleccia, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2025
She’s stitched up forever, and its no doubt that her future on the show is in question.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
Georgia stitched up Gil’s arm, and Ginny cleaned up the blood with bleach.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 2 June 2025
Sidhwa stitched up the boy’s rectum and created an ostomy—a hole that exits the abdomen—to allow his digestive tract to heal.
—Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2025
His friends were able to take him to the hospital to get stitched up.
—Angel Saunders, People.com, 19 Mar. 2025
Robert De Niro—stitched up like a baseball, all snarl and soul-ache—also makes for a pretty good monster.
—Dan Sheehan, Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2021
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Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 14 Dec. 2025
Walmart also sells yarn needles, both metal and plastic, which are perfect for stitching up your finished project.
—Maddie Topliff, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Dec. 2025
As an emergency medicine doctor who has stitched up many Thanksgiving injuries, Dr. Tony Cirillo urges home cooks to make sure their kitchen knives are sharp.
—Jonel Aleccia, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2025
She’s stitched up forever, and its no doubt that her future on the show is in question.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
Georgia stitched up Gil’s arm, and Ginny cleaned up the blood with bleach.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 2 June 2025
Sidhwa stitched up the boy’s rectum and created an ostomy—a hole that exits the abdomen—to allow his digestive tract to heal.
—Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2025
His friends were able to take him to the hospital to get stitched up.
—Angel Saunders, People.com, 19 Mar. 2025
Robert De Niro—stitched up like a baseball, all snarl and soul-ache—also makes for a pretty good monster.
—Dan Sheehan, Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Stitch up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stitch%20up. Accessed 17 Dec. 2025.
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