strew

verb

strewed; strewed or strewn ˈstrün How to pronounce strew (audio) ; strewing

transitive verb

1
: to spread by scattering
2
: to cover by or as if by scattering something
strewing the highways with litter
3
: to become dispersed over as if scattered
4
: to spread abroad : disseminate

Examples of strew in a Sentence

She strewed the birdseed on the ground. sidewalks strewed with trash left by the parade watchers
Recent Examples on the Web Cooper said the couple returned to the area Tuesday to see the aftermath and found knives, vape pens, scales, and other debris strewn about. Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 5 Mar. 2024 Dave Musgrove driving along a main roadway in Englewood, about 50 miles north of Fort Myers, when a bright flash suddenly appears in the distance followed by a mangled motorcycle strewn in the middle of the roadway. Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 20 Feb. 2024 Multiple staterooms hosted parties, and entertaining decorations were strewn throughout. Kathleen Bruce, SPIN, 12 Feb. 2024 Around the school the sidewalks are strewn with garbage, empty liquor bottles and even discarded syringes. Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2024 Eleven of Ukraine’s 27 regions are strewn with mines, according to Human Rights Watch. Elizabeth Both, NBC News, 20 Feb. 2024 The menorah was smashed and its pieces strewn around the area. Harry Harris, The Mercury News, 19 Feb. 2024 Aerial videos of the scene showed what could be taken for a disordered lumberyard, with pieces of the wooden skeleton of a house strewn all over the intersection, partially obscured by rising smoke. Clarence Williams, Washington Post, 17 Feb. 2024 Both salmon carcasses strewn near the waterways and bear poop go on to fertilize the forest. Lina Zeldovich, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'strew.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English strewen, strowen, from Old English strewian, strēowian; akin to Old High German strewen to strew, Latin struere to heap up, sternere to spread out, Greek stornynai

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of strew was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near strew

Cite this Entry

“Strew.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strew. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

strew

verb
strewed; strewed or strewn ˈstrün How to pronounce strew (audio) ; strewing
1
: to spread (as seeds) by scattering
2
: to cover by or as if by scattering something over or on
strewing the highways with litter
3
: to spread around as if sowing seeds : disseminate

More from Merriam-Webster on strew

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