stitch up
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
Based on his social media updates, Green appears stitched up, in good spirits, and ready to keep going.
—
Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 16 Mar. 2026
As Claire and Elspeth figure out how to best stitch up Amy’s face, there’s a wedding celebration in Philadelphia.
—Lincee Ray, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Mar. 2026
Netflix has stitched up a solution.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 15 Jan. 2026
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
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
Next its decision-making software would have to figure out how best to stitch up the gash.
—IEEE Spectrum, 31 May 2016
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.
Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 16 Mar. 2026
As Claire and Elspeth figure out how to best stitch up Amy’s face, there’s a wedding celebration in Philadelphia.
—Lincee Ray, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Mar. 2026
Netflix has stitched up a solution.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 15 Jan. 2026
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
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
Next its decision-making software would have to figure out how best to stitch up the gash.
—IEEE Spectrum, 31 May 2016
Cite this Entry
“Stitch up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stitch%20up. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
