sewed up
Slang for something that's completely secured, locked down, and guaranteed — as in a deal, a victory, or a situation that's already settled.
Seen in the wild
And once again, like so much Platner apologia, this ignores the question of what will happen when Collins can campaign off of his many, many horrible statements and actions. He's clearly sewed up the nomination. Ultim…
The engineer called up the despatcher on the phone Tell him all about his locomotive was gone Get on the wire, switch operator to right 'Cause the monkey's got the mainline sewed up tight
Definitions
Slang for something that's completely secured, locked down, and guaranteed — as in a deal, a victory, or a situation that's already settled. When something's sewed up, there's no doubt about the outcome: it's done, it's yours, it's in the bag. Common in AAVE and hip-hop culture, it's the ultimate expression of confident certainty, whether you're talking about winning a contract, closing a deal, or dominating a competition.
By the time the fourth quarter started, they had the championship sewed up and everyone in the building knew it.
Comments
(slang, AAVE) , in the bag.
“And once again, like so much Platner apologia, this ignores the question of what will happen when Collins can campaign off of his many, many horrible statements and actions. He's clearly sewed up the nomination. Ultimate victory is less clear.”
“The engineer called up the despatcher on the phone Tell him all about his locomotive was gone Get on the wire, switch operator to right 'Cause the monkey's got the mainline sewed up tight”
"sewed up" comes from African-American Vernacular English or Multicultural London English and means , in the bag. It has spread well beyond its origin through hip-hop, drill, TikTok and gaming, so a teen of any background may use it. It is not in itself a sign of bad behaviour; it is a style of speech the way 'cool' or 'wicked' once was. The conversation worth having is about respecting where the language comes from, not about banning the word.
"sewed up" is informal, ethnically marked slang English meaning , in the bag. It is mainly used in North American English. A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake is to assume "sewed up" can replace its standard equivalent in every register; keep it for spoken or casual situations and use the formal form in writing. If you are a B2 or C1 learner, it is useful to recognise this word when you hear or read it, but think carefully about whether the situation really calls for it before using it yourself.
“And once again, like so much Platner apologia, this ignores the question of what will happen when Collins can campaign off of his many, many horrible statements and actions. He's clearly sewed up the nomination. Ultimate victory is less clear.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“The engineer called up the despatcher on the phone Tell him all about his locomotive was gone Get on the wire, switch operator to right 'Cause the monkey's got the mainline sewed up tight”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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Semantically related
- stitch up68%
To join or close by sewing.
- stitch up64%
To fabricate (e.g. a legal case).
- stitch up64%
(Britain, Australia, slang) To maliciously or dishonestly incriminate someone; to set up (in the sense trap or ensnare).
- clew up62%
(UK, informal) To finish up or to tidy up, as in the tie up a sail on a sailing boat, the clew being a part of the structure holding the sail. Comes from the nautical term "clew".