hewed

past tense of hew
1
as in mowed
to bring down by cutting laboriously hewed trees to build their rude log cabins

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2
as in adhered
to hold to something firmly as if by adhesion decided to hew to the original plan rather than change everything

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of hewed In most times and places, authorities have hewed more to slaveholders’ conception of free speech as a limited privilege than to abolitionists’ assertion of an absolute right. Paul Quigley, The Conversation, 13 July 2026 His tenure lasted until 1962, during which time he was joined by the notable poet and critic Edwin Denby, whose work hewed rather firmly to criticism. Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Apr. 2026 Like many cities in the report, Dallas also actually saw a year-over-year effective salary bump, likely because of slightly lower effective tax rates and living costs that have hewed closer to the national average. Trevor Bach, Dallas Morning News, 5 Mar. 2026 Independents hewed more closely to the Democratic view with 76% disapproving and 24% approving. Steven Martinez, jsonline.com, 25 Feb. 2026 The Biden administration hewed closely to the same policy. CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026 San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, the newest major candidate to enter the race, hewed toward partisan middle ground, chastising leaders in Sacramento for allowing the state budget to balloon without tangible improvements to housing affordability, homelessness and public schools. Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2026 In the ensuing years, Wu publicly hewed harder into right-wing talking points about trans people. Samantha Riedel, Them., 3 Nov. 2025 The two bills that emerged, Senate Bill 840 and Assembly Bill 1207, hewed closer to Newsom’s vision. Nicole Nixon, Sacbee.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hewed
Verb
  • Another approach is to surround a tree with a planting of a ground cover that doesn’t need to be mowed or trimmed.
    Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Keep lawns mowed and mulch beds to create a clean, finished look.
    Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 9 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Earlier versions adhered more closely to the facts of what happened to Pam.
    Josh Rivera, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026
  • But a new fastest time from UAE’s Florian Vermeersch on June 2 of this year — 23km at an average speed of 75kmh — suggests that not everyone has adhered.
    Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 29 June 2026
Verb
  • One man desperately clung to a light pole in Cambridge City as muddy, brown water swirled around him, before he was eventually rescued.
    Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Construction workers clung to a malfunctioning crane Friday as its arm collapsed onto the pool deck of a neighboring luxury high-rise in Miami, video shot by a bystander showed.
    James Cirrone, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • While steeped in a ton of history, York is anything but stuck in the past.
    Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Aug. 2026
  • You could be stuck at one weight on a leg exercise for a week because of a limited range of motion.
    Jesse Newell, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Hewed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hewed. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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