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

• darn
• 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

Initially, many of these factories functioned as little more than exploitative sweatshops in which desperate young women sewed clothes for as little as five cents an hour (roughly $1 in 2025 dollars). — Made By History, Time, 21 Apr. 2025

So, a long while, the bulk of it though, like the sewing things up and finishing happened from probably spring of 2023 to 2024. —Steve Baltin, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025

There are costumes and sewing books to give away, as well as Lyric memorabilia, office furniture and books on Gilbert & Sullivan and the Victorian period. —Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2025

The story a full collection tells and the unique fabrics and textures sewn together are like the unique individuals who make up an organization. —Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 4 Apr. 2025

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
• beaux
• blow
• boe
• 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