From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsew something ↔ up phrasal verb1 DLHto close or repair something by sewing it Could you sew up this hole in my trousers?2 informalFINISH DOING something to finish a business agreement or plan and get the result you want The deal should be sewn up in a week.Grammar Sew up is usually passive in this meaning.3 CONTROL have something sewn up to have gained control over a situation so that you are sure to win or get what you want It looks like the Democrats have the election sewn up. → sew→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
sew up• In the second half, Swindon should have sewn it up.• Will I have to sew my children up in goose grease combinations?• But Zeus rescued her unborn child, sewed it up in his own thigh, and brought it forth afterwards.• The Norfolk Constabulary in collaboration with the Doberman Security Service had sewn Bacton up tighter.have something sewn up• IBM had the market for electric typewriters sewn up.• For the lawyers have it all sewn up.• The deal between the wholesaler and manufacturer will have been sewn up only minutes before Sanjay accepted his orders.• To have lost a game against the local rivals that should have been sewn up was bad enough.From Longman Business Dictionarysew something → up phrasal verb [transitive]1informal to agree to a plan or arrangement with someone which will give you both the result you wantThe two banks have sewn up their plans to divide the retail banking system between them.2disapproving to get control of a situation so that you are certain to gain an advantage from itThey had the market so sewn up that the salesmen hardly had to try to sell the products at all. → sew→ See Verb table 