strew

verb

ˈstrü 

strewed; strewed or strewn ˈstrün  ; 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

Synonyms

• bestrew
• dot
• pepper
• scatter
• sow
• spot
• spray
• sprinkle

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

The hospital had been left ravaged and strewn with debris. —Pierre Luxama, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2024

Jewelry stores, restaurants, chic swimwear outlets — many have been reduced to rubble, the torsos of shop mannequins strewed amid the rubble. —Euan Ward, New York Times, 25 Dec. 2024

Regime soldiers abandoned their posts, leaving uniforms and equipment strewn in the street, as Assad and his family fled the country. —The Week Uk, theweek, 14 Dec. 2024

For the lesson, five actors sat around a wooden table strewn with fabric scraps and large spools of thread. —Natalie Meade, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024

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

Kids Definition

strew

verb

ˈstrü 

strewed; strewed or strewn ˈstrün  ; 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