sewing

noun

sew·​ing ˈsō-iŋ How to pronounce sewing (audio)
Synonyms of sewingnext
1
: the act, method, or occupation of one that sews
2
: material that has been or is to be sewed

Examples of sewing in a Sentence

She left her sewing in the living room.
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.
Opt for flexible sewing tape, not the more rigid measuring tape kept in your toolbox. — Cody Godwin, USA Today, 25 June 2026 As time goes on, skills like sewing have become more uncommon, especially here in the United States. — Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 8 July 2026 In the Black Jacobins, CLR James describes the slaves of a plantation sewing mutiny through poison. — Literary Hub, 6 July 2026 As screens are becoming more prominent parts of our everyday lives, people are returning to hands-on hobbies like baking, sewing, and crocheting, not just for the finished product, but for the process of making things itself. — Aliyah Rodriguez, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for sewing

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sewing was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing sewing

Rhymes for sewing

See All Rhymes for sewing

Browse Nearby Words

sewg
sewing
sewing awl
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sewing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sewing. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

sewing

noun
sew·​ing
ˈsō-iŋ
1
: the act, method, or occupation of one that sews
2
: material that has been or is to be sewed

More from Merriam-Webster on sewing

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for sewing

Nglish: Translation of sewing for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sewing

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All