1 B1 neutral
To close a wound by sewing it with surgical stitches (sutures).
"The doctor stitched up the cut on his forehead in the emergency room."
separable
stitch up
B2 informal separable transitive
To close a wound with sutures, to complete a deal, or (British slang) to cheat or frame someone.
In plain English
To sew up a cut with a needle and thread at the hospital, to finish making a deal, or to trick someone unfairly.
What does "stitch up" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
To finalize or complete a business deal or agreement.
"The two companies stitched up a merger worth billions of dollars."
separable
3 C1 idiomatic slang
(British slang) To cheat, frame, or manipulate someone so they are blamed for something they didn't do.
"He claimed he was stitched up by the police and that the evidence was planted."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To sew something up using stitches.
Actually means
To sew up a cut with a needle and thread at the hospital, to finish making a deal, or to trick someone unfairly.
Usage tip
Has three distinct senses: medical (closing wounds), business (finalizing deals), and British slang (cheating or framing). The slang sense is primarily British. Note that 'a stitch-up' is the related noun.
Words that pair with "stitch up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
wound cut deal agreement someone contract
How to conjugate "stitch up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
stitch up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
stitches up
he/she/it
Past simple
stitched up
yesterday
Past participle
stitched up
have + pp
-ing form
stitching up
continuous
Hear "stitch up" in the wild
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