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

Jennifer seemed frazzled, and her apartment was in disarray with clothes and shoes strewn everywhere. —Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 12 Apr. 2026

The benches are blackened with age, strewn with tools. —Tim Parks, New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2026

Dancers are strewn about the stage on their backs, bent legs pointed skyward in a quasi-rigor mortis. —Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2026

Fowler appeared in some of Dupuy-Spencer’s works from that period, including Eve (2018), a work in which the artist sits at a table strewn with an open book and a pair of scissors as two barking dogs seek her attention. —Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 11 Apr. 2026

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