Would you sew a button on my shirt?
Source: tatoeba (29235)
Sew
/soʊ/
Synonyms for "sew" (98 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: stitch, articulate, backstitch, batten, batten down.
- Sentence evidence is available for sew, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wiktionary, wordnet, opengloss, moby, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "sew".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "sew"
Keep "sew" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "sew" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "sew", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "sew" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
9 entriesMore specific
6 entriesCollocations
5 entriesInflections
5 entriesDerivations
7 entriesTranslations
207 translations across 126 languages.
Ainu
2 entries- ケメィキ verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- ケメィキ verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Aklanon
1 entries- tahi' verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Ancient Greek
3 entries- κασσύω verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- ῥάπτω verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- ῥάπτω verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Arabic
3 entries- خَاطَ verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- خَاطَ verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
- خَيَّطَ verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Armenian
2 entries- կարել verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- կարել verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Aromanian
1 entries- cos verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Assamese
2 entries- চিলোৱা verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- সীয়া verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Bashkir
3 entries- тегенеү verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
- тегеү verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- тегеү verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Belarusian
1 entries- шыць verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Bislama
1 entries- somap verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Breton
1 entries- gwriat verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Bulgarian
1 entries- ши́я verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Burmese
1 entries- ချုပ် verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Catalan
2 entries- cosir verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- cosir verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Cebuano
1 entries- tahi verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Central Kurdish
1 entries- دوورین verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Chechen
1 entries- тега verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Cherokee
1 entries- ᎦᏰᏫᏍᎦ verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Chinese
1 entries- 紩 /𮉢 verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Chinese Mandarin
4 entries- 縫 /缝 verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- 縫紉 /缝纫 verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- 縫紉 /缝纫 verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
- 縫製 /缝制 verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Czech
2 entries- šít verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- šít verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Dalmatian
1 entries- coser verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Danish
2 entries- sy verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- sy verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Dutch
2 entries- naaien verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- naaien verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Esperanto
1 entries- kudri verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Evenki
1 entries- улли- verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Extremaduran
1 entries- cosel verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Finnish
2 entries- ommella verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- ommella verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
French
1 entries- coudre verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Friulian
1 entries- cusî verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Galician
2 entries- coser verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- coser verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Georgian
1 entries- კერვა verb ((transitive) use a needle)
German
2 entries- nähen verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- nähen verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Gothic
1 entries- 𐍃𐌹𐌿𐌾𐌰𐌽 verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Greek
2 entries- ράβω verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- ράβω verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Greenlandic
2 entries- mersorpaa verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- mersorpoq verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Haitian Creole
1 entries- koud verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Hakka Chinese
1 entries- 攣 /挛 verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Hawaiian
1 entries- humuhumu verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Hebrew
1 entries- תָּפַר verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Higaonon
1 entries- tahi verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Hindi
4 entries- सिलना verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- सिलना verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
- सीना verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- सीना verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Hungarian
2 entries- varr verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- varr verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Hunsrik
1 entries- nehe verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Icelandic
1 entries- sauma verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Ido
1 entries- sutar verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Ilocano
2 entries- agdait verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- daiten verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Indonesian
2 entries- jahit verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- menjahit verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Ingrian
2 entries- ommella verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- ommella verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Irish
1 entries- fuaigh verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Isnag
1 entries- daxet verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Italian
2 entries- cucire verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- cucire verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Japanese
2 entries- 縫う verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- 縫製する verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Javanese
1 entries- dondom verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Kapampangan
1 entries- tai verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Kashubian
1 entries- szëc verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Khmer
1 entries- ដេរ verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Korean
3 entries- 깁다 verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- 꿰매다 verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- 바느질하다 verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Kyrgyz
1 entries- тикүү verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Ladino
1 entries- kuzir verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Lao
2 entries- ສນະ verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- ຫຍິບ verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Latgalian
1 entries- šyut verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Latin
2 entries- suō verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- suō verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Latvian
1 entries- šūt verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Lingala
3 entries- sono verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- tonga verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- tonga verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Lithuanian
1 entries- siūti verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Lombard
2 entries- cusì verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- cüsì verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Lower Sorbian
1 entries- šyś verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Luxembourgish
2 entries- bitzen verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- néien verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Macedonian
1 entries- ши́е verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Malay
1 entries- jahit verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Manchu
1 entries- ᡠᡶᡳᠮᠪᡳ verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Mansaka
1 entries- tai verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Manx
4 entries- fuaill verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- fuaill verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
- whaal verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- whaal verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Māori
2 entries- tuitui verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- tuitui verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Nanai
1 entries- улпи- verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Navajo
1 entries- náʼáłkad verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Norman
1 entries- couôtre verb ((transitive) use a needle)
North Wales Welsh
2 entries- pwytho verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- pwytho verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Northern Altai
1 entries- кӧктӧерге verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Northern Sami
2 entries- goarrut verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- goarrut verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Norwegian Bokmål
2 entries- sy verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- sy verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Norwegian Nynorsk
2 entries- sy verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- sy verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Occitan
3 entries- cordurar verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- cóser verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- cóser verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Oromo
1 entries- hodhuu verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Ossetian
1 entries- хуийын verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Persian
2 entries- آجیدن verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- دوختن verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Polish
1 entries- szyć verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Portuguese
4 entries- coser verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- coser verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
- costurar verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- costurar verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Quechua
3 entries- hirai verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- sirai verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- siray verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Romanian
2 entries- coase verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- coase verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Romansch
2 entries- cuser verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- cusir verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Russian
2 entries- шить verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- шить verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Sanskrit
2 entries- सीव्यति verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- सीव्यति verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Santali
2 entries- ᱨᱳᱜ verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- ᱨᱳᱜ verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Sardinian
4 entries- cosie verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- cosire verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- cusire verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- cusiri verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Scottish Gaelic
1 entries- fuaigheil verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Serbo-Croatian
4 entries- šiti verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- šivati verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- шивати verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- шити verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Sicilian
4 entries- cùsiri verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- cùsiri verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
- nchimari verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- nchimari verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Sindhi
2 entries- سِبَڻُ verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- سِبَڻُ verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Slovak
1 entries- šiť verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Slovene
1 entries- šivati verb ((transitive) use a needle)
South Wales Welsh
2 entries- gwnïo (colloquially gwinio) verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- gwnïo (colloquially gwinio) verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Southern Altai
1 entries- тигер verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Spanish
2 entries- coser verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- coser verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Sudovian
1 entries- shūt verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Sundanese
2 entries- kaput verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- ngaput verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Swahili
1 entries- shona verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Swedish
1 entries- sy verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Tagalog
2 entries- magtahi verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- tahiin verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Tamil
1 entries- தை verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Tausug
1 entries- tahi verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Thai
2 entries- เย็บ verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- เย็บ verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Tibetan
1 entries- བཙེམས verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Tok Pisin
2 entries- samap verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
- samapim verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Tooro
2 entries- -baziira verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- -sona verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Turkish
1 entries- dikmek verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Ukrainian
1 entries- ши́ти verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Upper Sorbian
1 entries- šić verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Urdu
3 entries- سلانا verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- سلنا verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- سینا verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Vietnamese
2 entries- khâu verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- may verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Volapük
1 entries- nägön verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Yakut
1 entries- тик verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Yiddish
2 entries- נייען verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- נייען verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Yámana
1 entries- umaka verb ((transitive) use a needle)
Zealandic
2 entries- naoie verb ((transitive) use a needle)
- naoie verb ((intransitive) use a needle)
Sample sentences
21 total sentences available.
Sew buttons onto a shirt.
Source: tatoeba (53082)
Did you sew this by hand?
Source: tatoeba (54949)
Ask her if she'll sew up the hole in your jeans.
Source: tatoeba (64894)
Showing 4 of 21 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "sew"?
Closest matches include stitch, articulate, backstitch, batten, batten down.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "sew"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.