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• stitch-up
  stitch-up

  noun

  a scheme of deception that exploits or falsely incriminates someone, possibly leading to a false arrest; a setup.
• stitch up
  stitch up

  verb

  to join or mend by means of stitches or sutures

stitch-up

American  

[stich-uhp] / ˈstɪtʃˌʌp /

noun

British Informal.

1. a scheme of deception that exploits or falsely incriminates someone, possibly leading to a false arrest; a setup.

   These allegations against the mayor are part of an outrageous stitch-up.

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stitch up British  

verb

1. to join or mend by means of stitches or sutures

2. slang

   1. to incriminate (someone) on a false charge by manufacturing evidence

   2. to betray, cheat, or defraud

3. slang to prearrange (something) in a clandestine manner

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noun

1. slang a matter that has been prearranged clandestinely

Etymology

Origin of stitch-up

First recorded in 1980–85; stitch ( def. ) + up ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

stitch-up stitch up

But even he knew it was a stitch-up.

From BBC ● Feb. 28, 2026

When it was revealed, millions of South Koreans turned out at candlelit protests every weekend in the 2016/2017 winter, demanding an end to Park's government and the stitch-up between politics and business.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2022

Because these snarls are the product of decisions made years ago and solving them requires more than some quick stitch-up work, short-term reactions are "usually too little, too late," Hopp said.

From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2022

He says it was a stitch-up to discredit him and his investigation.

From BBC ● Mar. 14, 2022

Here’s a stitch-up of a work colleague, albeit an accidental one.

From The Guardian ● Dec. 7, 2012

"It's garbage. It's a stitch up job," he added.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

In 1951, he published the first royal tell-all memoir, A King’s Story, which flew off the shelves and painted him as a victim of an establishment stitch up.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 11, 2026

"We will stitch up the wounds and the pain of our country and our city," said Aliev, a 23-year-old musician.

From Reuters ● Mar. 14, 2022

I read tales of school nurses, veterinarians, and overall good and kind souls who will restuff and stitch up a stuffed toy in special “clinics.”

From Washington Post ● Feb. 20, 2022

If he was going to stitch up the bat, he’d better do it before he thought too much about it.

From "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins