sew

verb

ˈsō 

sewed; sewn ˈsōn  or sewed; sewing

transitive verb

1

: to unite or fasten by stitches

2

: to close or enclose by sewing

sew the money in a bag

intransitive verb

: to practice or engage in sewing

sewability

ˌsō-ə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

sewable

ˈsō-ə-bəl 

adjective

Synonyms of sew

• stitch
• suture

Examples of sew in a Sentence

She sews her own dresses by hand.

He sewed a patch onto his sleeve.

I sewed the button back on the shirt.

The surgeon sewed the wound shut.

She designs her own dresses and sews in her free time.

Recent Examples on the Web

Additionally, Lycra® VintageFX fiber supports more durable denim and reduces the chance of seam slippage, in which stress causes fabrics to gap where they are sewn together. — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 17 Sep. 2026

There’s Kui Lei-making, where visitors hear the history of the lei while learning to sew one; traditional bamboo stamp printing; or coconut frond weaving, which Native Hawaiians have practiced for millennia. — Stephanie Vermillion, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2026

The runway opened with the Beginner Hoodie, the first Vivet piece Cenat sewed by hand, following months spent studying construction and manufacturing in Italy. — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026

Chua would put it to sleep with isoflurane, intubate it, cover its eyes to keep them from drying out, make a small incision in its abdomen to insert a device that would log heart rate and body temperature, and then sew the bird up. — Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English sīwian; akin to Old High German siuwen to sew, Latin suere

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing sew

• sew up

Rhymes for sew

• beau
• beaut
• beaux
• blow
• bro
• coe
• crow
• doe
• doh
• dough
• eau
• eaux

Kids Definition

sew

verb

ˈsō 

sewed; sewn ˈsōn  or sewed; sewing

1

: to join or fasten by stitches

sew on a button

2

: to work with needle and thread