strew

verb

strewed; strewed or strewn ˈstrün How to pronounce strew (audio) ; 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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For millennia, Pacific voyagers have relied on techniques such as these to reach thousands of islands, strewn throughout our planet’s largest ocean. The Conversation, 14 May 2025 The financial wreckage is strewn across Texas, having swept up both wealthy investors and older people with modest incomes who dug into retirement savings on the advice of the same investment advisor used by Carver. Anjeanette Damon, ProPublica, 13 May 2025 Below deck, cutlery, cookware, bags and other supplies are strewn about, left behind. Mitchell Willetts, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 May 2025 People could be heard screaming and crying in the video, which appeared to show several people injured on the ground and baggage strewn about, as first responders attended to the scene. Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 4 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for strew

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of strew was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Strew.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strew. Accessed 18 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

strew

verb
strewed; strewed or strewn ˈstrün How to pronounce strew (audio) ; 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

More from Merriam-Webster on strew

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