strew

verb

ˈstrü 

strewed; strewed or strewn ˈstrün  ; 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

Synonyms of strew

• spray
• sprinkle
• dot
• pepper

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

In one sweet snap, she and Gene are curled up together on a bed strewn with a sippy cup, toys and multiple children's books. —Jamie Ballard, PEOPLE, 1 Dec. 2025

The Nisqually park entrance and Ashford are minutes away, and the backyard, strewn with Adirondack chairs and fronted by a pond, is the perfect place to lounge post-hike. —Zoe Baillargeon, Travel + Leisure, 24 Nov. 2025

Such time-collapsing epiphanies come easily because Orkney is strewn with detritus from every stage of human history. —Alex Ross, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025

Cellphone video footage captured by some residents showed the garage door of the home strewn about. —Chelsea Hylton, CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025

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

Rhymes for strew

• blew
• blue
• boo
• brew
• chew
• chou
• clue
• coo
• coup
• crew
• cue
• dew

Kids Definition

strew

verb

ˈstrü 

strewed; strewed or strewn ˈstrün  ; 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