1 C1 neutral
(nautical) To haul the lower corners of a square sail up to the yard in preparation for furling.
"As the wind picked up dangerously, the boatswain ordered the crew to clew up the topsails."
separable
clew up
C1 neutral separable transitive
A nautical term meaning to haul up the lower corners of a sail toward the yard.
In plain English
To pull the bottom corners of a sail up so it can be folded away.
What does "clew up" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To haul the clew (lower corner) of a sail upward.
Actually means
To pull the bottom corners of a sail up so it can be folded away.
Usage tip
Exclusively a nautical or sailing term. Historically important in square-rigged ship operations. 'Clewing up' is the first step before furling a sail. Very rare in modern everyday language.
Words that pair with "clew up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
sail mainsail topsail yard lines rigging
How to conjugate "clew up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
clew up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
clews up
he/she/it
Past simple
clewed up
yesterday
Past participle
clewed up
have + pp
-ing form
clewing up
continuous
Hear "clew up" in the wild
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