stitch up
phrasal verb
stitched up; stitching up; stitches up
1
: to use a needle and thread to close a large cut or wound
The doctor stitched up his wound.
The doctor stitched him up.
2
British, informal
: to make (an innocent person) appear to be guilty of a crime : frame
They stitched him up for murder.
3
British, informal
: to do the final things that are needed to complete (something) in a successful way : to finish or do (something) successfully
The mayor stitched up a deal with the union.
We were ahead by 10 points and thought that we had the game stitched up.
Examples of stitch up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Liverpool didn’t win, but their fans were stitched up by typical heavy-handed French policing of English football fans.
—
Andy Mitten, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
But first, Joe has a mysterious arm injury that is so obviously not from stitching up books.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2025
Sidhwa stitched up the boy’s rectum and created an ostomy—a hole that exits the abdomen—to allow his digestive tract to heal.
—Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2025
His friends were able to take him to the hospital to get stitched up.
—Angel Saunders, People.com, 19 Mar. 2025
After fighting to get free with the help of his guests, Lowe was rushed to the hospital where he was stitched up, only to return to a similar trauma hours later.
—Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2025
Johnson then suffered another concussion in an 85-80 win against Sacred Heart on Nov. 17, 2023, had to get his scalp stitched up, and sat out two games.
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 23 Jan. 2025
Sparrow told the Chronicle her wound was stitched up at the hospital.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 2 July 2024
While at Harrenhal, Daemon sees young Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock) stitching up the neck of a deceased Jaehaerys (Michael Carter) in a trippy vision.
—Alli Rosenbloom, CNN, 30 June 2024
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Andy Mitten, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
But first, Joe has a mysterious arm injury that is so obviously not from stitching up books.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2025
Sidhwa stitched up the boy’s rectum and created an ostomy—a hole that exits the abdomen—to allow his digestive tract to heal.
—Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2025
His friends were able to take him to the hospital to get stitched up.
—Angel Saunders, People.com, 19 Mar. 2025
After fighting to get free with the help of his guests, Lowe was rushed to the hospital where he was stitched up, only to return to a similar trauma hours later.
—Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2025
Johnson then suffered another concussion in an 85-80 win against Sacred Heart on Nov. 17, 2023, had to get his scalp stitched up, and sat out two games.
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 23 Jan. 2025
Sparrow told the Chronicle her wound was stitched up at the hospital.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 2 July 2024
While at Harrenhal, Daemon sees young Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock) stitching up the neck of a deceased Jaehaerys (Michael Carter) in a trippy vision.
—Alli Rosenbloom, CNN, 30 June 2024
Cite this Entry
“Stitch up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stitch%20up. Accessed 7 May. 2025.
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