hew

¹ American  

[hyoo, yoo] / hyu, yu /

verb (used with object)

hewed, hewed, hewn, hewing

1. to strike forcibly with an ax, sword, or other cutting instrument; chop; hack.

2. to make, shape, smooth, etc., with cutting blows.

   to hew a passage through the crowd; to hew a statue from marble.

   Synonyms:

   form

3. to sever (a part) from a whole by means of cutting blows (usually followed by away, off, out, from, etc.).

   to hew branches from the tree.

4. to cut down; fell.

   to hew wood; trees hewed down by the storm.

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verb (used without object)

hewed, hewed, hewn, hewing

1. to strike with cutting blows; cut.

   He hewed more vigorously each time.

2. to uphold, follow closely, or conform (usually followed byto ).

   to hew to the tenets of one's political party.

HEW ² American  

abbreviation

1. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.

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hew ¹ British  

/ hjuː /

verb

1. to strike (something, esp wood) with cutting blows, as with an axe

2. to shape or carve from a substance

3. (tr; often foll by away, down, from, off, etc) to sever from a larger or another portion

4. to conform (to a code, principle, etc)

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HEW ² British  

abbreviation

1. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare

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Related Words

See cut.

Other Word Forms

• hewable adjective
• hewer noun
• unhewable adjective
• unhewed adjective

Etymology

Origin of hew

First recorded before 900; Middle English hewen, Old English hēawan; cognate with German hauen, Old Norse hǫggva; akin to haggle

Explanation

If you're a lumberjack, the word hew is nothing new. You hew things every day with one swift swing of the axe, chopping and shaping wood. It's said that Paul Bunyan hewed the Grand Canyon by dragging his giant mythical axe behind him. But usually things are hewn with a little more purpose — with each chop and cut designed to shape, sculpt, or craft a final product. Take the axe out of the picture though, and this word takes on a different meaning. If you're trying to adhere to rules, stick to a budget, or conform to a certain tradition, you can use hew, too.

Example Sentences

Microdramas hew to an established formula, with each installment ending on a cliffhanger that pushes its often preposterous story line toward a final, usually shocking reveal.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

The deals appear to closely hew to the same lines as the earlier deals with Pfizer and AstraZeneca, which were seen as significant wins for the industry.

From Barron's • Dec. 19, 2025

With changes to tax law, the Dec. 31 deadline has become almost arbitrary, yet people still hew to old habits.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 19, 2025

The intention of the proposed measure is to hew as closely to the county regulations as possible, including provisions that provide flexibility to small landlords, Blumenfield said.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 4, 2025

Four trees are wanted for the Keel, which all together will measure 146 feet in length, and hew 16 inches square.

From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham

Related Words

• cleave