to strike forcibly with an ax, sword, or other cutting instrument; chop; hack.
to make, shape, smooth, etc., with cutting blows.
to hew a passage through the crowd; to hew a statue from marble.
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.
to cut down; fell.
to hew wood; trees hewed down by the storm.
to strike with cutting blows; cut.
He hewed more vigorously each time.
to uphold, follow closely, or conform (usually followed byto ).
to hew to the tenets of one's political party.
to strike (something, esp wood) with cutting blows, as with an axe
to shape or carve from a substance
(tr; often foll by away, down, from, off, etc) to sever from a larger or another portion
to conform (to a code, principle, etc)
See cut.
First recorded before 900; Middle English hewen, Old English hēawan; cognate with German hauen, Old Norse hǫggva; akin to haggle
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.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Although initial jobless claims tend to hew closest to layoff trends, the total number of workers who are collecting unemployment benefits—tracked as continuing claims—is also a good indicator of labor market health.
From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026
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
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
Wiegman's watch notification during hew news conference reminded her of a workout she was due to have.
From BBC • Jul. 27, 2025
Mr. O’Halloran tells the class it’s a disgrace that boys like McCourt, Clarke, Kennedy, have to hew wood and draw water.
From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
