1
as in to mow
to bring down by cutting
laboriously hewed trees to build their rude log cabins
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hew
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, the newest major candidate to enter the race, hewed toward partisan middle ground, chastising leaders in Sacramento for allowing the state budget to balloon without tangible improvements to housing affordability, homelessness and public schools.
—
Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2026
Where Frederick Wiseman’s attention is analytical and the Maysles brothers’ attention is dramatic, Depardon’s is a tree trunk—blunt, rough, heavy, a raw thing to hew that keeps its rings of history even after shaping and trimming.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2026
The pastoral feel of the music, and Murdoch’s soft, tremulous tenor conjures Nick Drake, but the content of the songs hews closer to the urban fever dreams of Martin Amis, whose 1995 novel The Information traces similar lines of fading-empire disenfranchisement.
—Elizabeth Nelson, Pitchfork, 22 Jan. 2026
Either say something helpful (and objectively true) or say nothing at all; a blanket warning hews too close to gossip for my taste.
—R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hew
Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2026
Where Frederick Wiseman’s attention is analytical and the Maysles brothers’ attention is dramatic, Depardon’s is a tree trunk—blunt, rough, heavy, a raw thing to hew that keeps its rings of history even after shaping and trimming.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2026
The pastoral feel of the music, and Murdoch’s soft, tremulous tenor conjures Nick Drake, but the content of the songs hews closer to the urban fever dreams of Martin Amis, whose 1995 novel The Information traces similar lines of fading-empire disenfranchisement.
—Elizabeth Nelson, Pitchfork, 22 Jan. 2026
Either say something helpful (and objectively true) or say nothing at all; a blanket warning hews too close to gossip for my taste.
—R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hew
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hew
Verb
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Consider a substitute ground cover in hard to mow or problem areas where grass won’t grow.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 Feb. 2026
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Declutter your yard or porch, wash the driveway and walkway before showings, and make sure the lawn is mowed and the garden is tended to.—
Sheila Kim,
The Spruce,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Dry chicken skin is also much easier to adhere seasonings to, as well as fat like butter.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
20 Feb. 2026
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Working in batches, coat croquettes with cornmeal, turning and pressing to adhere.—
Kate Bradshaw,
Mercury News,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Too many people, particularly those in my age group, have been felled by a cold that morphed into pneumonia, or a UTI that landed them in the hospital, or a simple stumble on a floor mat that resulted in surgery and months of physical therapy.—
Donna Vickroy,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
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Using drone surveys to map the forest canopy, the team tested how views might shift if certain trees were felled, inching toward a location that felt both deliberate and deferential to the land.—
Leonora Epstein,
Architectural Digest,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But what if, instead of a cozy cabin, you were stuck in a tent.—
Outside Online,
Outside Online,
25 Feb. 2026
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Londontown Sugarcane For those still sticking true to neutrals, step outside the Ballet Slippers box with a metallic taupe nude that offers a bit of warmth just as the spring and summer glow is getting started.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Scratches above the dead body reach upward, marks that read as feeble attempts to cling to some semblance of life.—
Anel Rakhimzhanova,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2026
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His return comes at an opportune time, with the Panthers clinging to fading hopes of reaching the Stanley Cup playoffs to try to win a third consecutive title and with injuries still hampering the team.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hew.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hew. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
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