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

• bestrew
• dot
• pepper
• scatter
• sow
• spot
• spray
• sprinkle

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

The action also feels closely tied to the sociopolitical anxieties of the time, including the movie’s famous bike chases and slides strewn across the cityscapes of Neo-Tokyo. —Kambole Campbell, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2025

The Houthis’ al-Masirah satellite news channel aired graphic footage of the aftermath, showing corpses strewn across the site and smashed tanker trucks ablaze. —Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025

Macdonald also painstakingly recreated the couple’s Greenwich Village flat, down to the debris strewn out on the floor. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 12 Apr. 2025

County investigators added that her personal belongings were strewn about near the vehicle. —Caleb Lunetta, Mercury News, 11 Apr. 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