sew up

verb

To seal by sewing.

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Meanings

verbsew up (third-person singular simple present sews up, present participle sewing up, simple past sewed up, past participle sewn up)

present singular third person sews up · participle present sewing up · past sewed up · participle past sewn up

  1. transitiveTo seal by sewing.

    Amongst the Narrinyeri in South Australia men of the Snake clan sometimes catch snakes, pull out their teeth or sew up their mouths, and keep them as pets.

    1887, James George Frazer, Totemism, page 14
  2. figurativelytransitiveTo bring a matter to a full conclusion that deals with all outstanding issues or other concerns.

    Threatening to veto the Berkshire offer suggests the fund doesn't have the financing sewn up and is stalling for time.

    2017 August 17, Lauren Silva Laughlin, “In Battle Over Texas Utility, Elliott Is Grasping at Straws”, in New York Times, retrieved 25 Aug 2018
Cite this entry
APA

sew up. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sew%20up

MLA

“sew up.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sew%20up. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sew up,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sew%20up.

Source: sew up on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.