hemmed; hemming
2
: to surround in a restrictive manner : confine
—usually used with in
hemmed in by enemy troops
: to make a hem in sewing
hemmer
noun
hemmed; hemming
1
: to utter the sound represented by hem
hemmed and hawed before answering
2
: equivocate
the administration hemmed and hawed over the students' demands
usually read as
ˈhem 
—often used to indicate a vocalized pause in speaking
Synonyms
Examples of hem in a Sentence
Noun
shorten the hem of the dress
the hem of the blouse was gold
Recent Examples on the Web
Jamie Allison Sanders, Peoplemag, 6 Apr. 2024
With all-over smocking that adds fun texture and a playful ruffle hem and neckline, this dress is ready to bring the party.
—Sarah Boyd, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
The form-fitting tank top is slightly cropped with a rounded hem to show off a bit of waist, while the wide-leg pants have some faux pleats for visual interest.
—Samantha Leal, Travel + Leisure, 22 Mar. 2024
The set includes the butterfly print dress with a ruffle hem and a denim vest with butterfly embroidery.
—Nora Colomer, Fox News, 21 Mar. 2024
The puff sleeves definitely add interest, and so does the V-neckline, floral pattern, adjustable tie at the waist, and ruffle midi-length hem.
—Carly Totten, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2024
But the Vanity Fair Oscars party, considered the most A-list of the after events, allows celebs to let their hair down, figuratively, and experiment with high hems, plunging necklines, and everyday objects as clothing.
—Glamour, 11 Mar. 2024
Her feather-peplum gown also featured feathers at the hem, and Nyong’o completed the look with a delicate light-blue eye shadow and a bold dose of body glitter.
—Rachel Tashjian, Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2024
The waffle knit button-up has a curved hem, collar, chest pocket, and roomy fit.
—Isabel Garcia, Peoplemag, 23 Mar. 2024
Catherine Belton, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024
Stewart's stylist, Tara Swennen, paired the creamy cashmere garment, which is hemmed in brown, with a pretty silk button-down, buttoned at the collar only, and a nude bra.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 12 Mar. 2024
It is hemmed in by Stanley Black & Decker on one side, by a Baltimore Gas and Electric substation on another, and Joppa Road and Jefferson Avenue on the others.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 19 Jan. 2024
The construction site hemmed in by large boulders, rocks and the ocean on one side and a steep incline on the other.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2024
Cities institutionalize neocolonial segregation, with those of immigrant origin banished to dreary suburbs, hemmed in by brutal police and overseen by corrupt officials.
—Nabila Ramdani, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
And in the background, there must be the question whether there will have to be changes in the composition of the board in order to restore some of its credibility, changes with consequences that might leave Musk — how to put this — feeling hemmed in.
—Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 5 Feb. 2024
The once almost 18,000-hectare Western Area Peninsula National Park is on a wedge of forest hemmed in by the country’s capital, Freetown.
—David McKenzie, CNN, 2 Feb. 2024
Imagine if Atlantic City in New Jersey were simultaneously hemmed in and backed by a high Nevada plateau, and if the two locales were connected by a two-lane switchback highway.
—Julia Shipley, WIRED, 13 Jan. 2024
Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY, 6 Apr. 2023
Though the city encourages outdoor dining to add ambiance and verve to the square, the small restaurants, cafes and shops are squeezed together and their front doors are hemmed in by the narrow sidewalks that surround the courthouse.
—John Tuohy, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Apr. 2023
Some councilors pointed to the limitations of the strong-mayor system, which hems in council authority.
—Emma Platoff, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Mar. 2023
And state legislatures can act, too, though even there the Court may hem in their ability to, say, set mileage restrictions on cars—in fact, Republican attorneys general from around the country have already filed suit in the D.C. circuit court to do just that.
—Bill McKibben, The New Yorker, 30 June 2022
Try to hem them in their zone.
—Matthew Defranks, Dallas News, 31 Mar. 2021
But remember, that extra $15 to hem a stylish pair of pants will make all the difference in the world, so just do it.
—Maverick Li, Men's Health, 3 Feb. 2023
Most of Legend’s preferred candidates favor ending cash bail, for example, and not pursuing charges for low-level offenses that disproportionately hem up people of color.
—Erika D. Smithcolumnist, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2022
After attaching the tabs and facing pieces, all that's left to do is hem the bottom of each panel.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Jan. 2023
Noun
The high-low hem elegantly reveals a pair of gleaming gold or silver heels.
—Jamie Allison Sanders, Peoplemag, 6 Apr. 2024
With all-over smocking that adds fun texture and a playful ruffle hem and neckline, this dress is ready to bring the party.
—Sarah Boyd, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
The form-fitting tank top is slightly cropped with a rounded hem to show off a bit of waist, while the wide-leg pants have some faux pleats for visual interest.
—Samantha Leal, Travel + Leisure, 22 Mar. 2024
The set includes the butterfly print dress with a ruffle hem and a denim vest with butterfly embroidery.
—Nora Colomer, Fox News, 21 Mar. 2024
The puff sleeves definitely add interest, and so does the V-neckline, floral pattern, adjustable tie at the waist, and ruffle midi-length hem.
—Carly Totten, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2024
But the Vanity Fair Oscars party, considered the most A-list of the after events, allows celebs to let their hair down, figuratively, and experiment with high hems, plunging necklines, and everyday objects as clothing.
—Glamour, 11 Mar. 2024
Her feather-peplum gown also featured feathers at the hem, and Nyong’o completed the look with a delicate light-blue eye shadow and a bold dose of body glitter.
—Rachel Tashjian, Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2024
The waffle knit button-up has a curved hem, collar, chest pocket, and roomy fit.
—Isabel Garcia, Peoplemag, 23 Mar. 2024
Verb
Only a handful got anywhere near the church, the cemetery, or Navalny’s coffin, after walls of masked riot police divided and controlled the crowds, hemming them in with metal barricades.
—Catherine Belton, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024
Stewart's stylist, Tara Swennen, paired the creamy cashmere garment, which is hemmed in brown, with a pretty silk button-down, buttoned at the collar only, and a nude bra.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 12 Mar. 2024
It is hemmed in by Stanley Black & Decker on one side, by a Baltimore Gas and Electric substation on another, and Joppa Road and Jefferson Avenue on the others.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 19 Jan. 2024
The construction site hemmed in by large boulders, rocks and the ocean on one side and a steep incline on the other.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2024
Cities institutionalize neocolonial segregation, with those of immigrant origin banished to dreary suburbs, hemmed in by brutal police and overseen by corrupt officials.
—Nabila Ramdani, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
And in the background, there must be the question whether there will have to be changes in the composition of the board in order to restore some of its credibility, changes with consequences that might leave Musk — how to put this — feeling hemmed in.
—Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 5 Feb. 2024
The once almost 18,000-hectare Western Area Peninsula National Park is on a wedge of forest hemmed in by the country’s capital, Freetown.
—David McKenzie, CNN, 2 Feb. 2024
Imagine if Atlantic City in New Jersey were simultaneously hemmed in and backed by a high Nevada plateau, and if the two locales were connected by a two-lane switchback highway.
—Julia Shipley, WIRED, 13 Jan. 2024
Verb
Biden administration says Trump set the stage for Afghan collapse Despite admitting mistakes, the Biden administration spent the first pages of its unclassified report arguing that it had been hemmed in by former President Donald Trump.
—Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY, 6 Apr. 2023
Though the city encourages outdoor dining to add ambiance and verve to the square, the small restaurants, cafes and shops are squeezed together and their front doors are hemmed in by the narrow sidewalks that surround the courthouse.
—John Tuohy, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Apr. 2023
Some councilors pointed to the limitations of the strong-mayor system, which hems in council authority.
—Emma Platoff, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Mar. 2023
And state legislatures can act, too, though even there the Court may hem in their ability to, say, set mileage restrictions on cars—in fact, Republican attorneys general from around the country have already filed suit in the D.C. circuit court to do just that.
—Bill McKibben, The New Yorker, 30 June 2022
Try to hem them in their zone.
—Matthew Defranks, Dallas News, 31 Mar. 2021
But remember, that extra $15 to hem a stylish pair of pants will make all the difference in the world, so just do it.
—Maverick Li, Men's Health, 3 Feb. 2023
Most of Legend’s preferred candidates favor ending cash bail, for example, and not pursuing charges for low-level offenses that disproportionately hem up people of color.
—Erika D. Smithcolumnist, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2022
After attaching the tabs and facing pieces, all that's left to do is hem the bottom of each panel.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Jan. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hem.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near hem
Cite this Entry
“Hem.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hem. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hem
1 of 5 noun
: a border of a garment or cloth made by folding back an edge and sewing it down
hem
2 of 5 verb
hemmed; hemming
1
: to finish with or make a hem in sewing
2
: to surround in a confining manner
a town hemmed in by mountains
hemmer
noun
hem
3 of 5 verb
hemmed; hemming
1
: to make a sound during a pause in speaking which is usually written as hem
2
: to hesitate in speaking
hem
4 of 5 interjectiona throat-clearing sound; often read as
ˈhem
—often used to indicate a pause in speaking
hem-
5 of 5 combining form
variants
or hemo-
: blood
Etymology
Noun
Old English hem "border on a garment"
Interjection
an imitation of the throat-clearing sound
Combining form
derived from Greek haima "blood"
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share