1
archaic
: a band or force of armed men
2
a
: a group of people associated together in a common activity or by common traits or interests
b
3
a
: a company of people working on one job or under one foreman or operating a machine
b
: the whole company belonging to a ship sometimes including the officers and master
also
: one who assists the skipper of a sailboat
c
: the persons who have duties on an aircraft in flight
d
: the rowers and coxswain of a racing shell
also
: rowing
crewed; crewing; crews
: to act as a member of a crew
Horwitz begins his re-creation of Cook's journeys by crewing on a replica of the Endeavour, Cook's first ship.—
Robert R. Harris
Robert R. Harris1
: to serve as a crew member on (a ship, an aircraft, etc.)
Crewing the vessel were three experienced sailors …—Ron Arias
Ron Arias2
: to supply (something) with people (as for service)
"… you need to know at least 72 hours beforehand … to fuel and crew the plane, fly the plane over, give the crew enough time to rest," he [Erik Pitkethly] says.—Emma Sheppard
Emma SheppardEventually, the production based itself in Stirling and Jankel filmed entirely on location …. The Screen Scotland Screen Commission helped crew the film with a majority Scottish contingent.—screendaily.com
screendaily.comExamples of crew in a Sentence
Noun
a skilled member of a ship's crew
the flight's passengers and crew
the ship's captain and crew
A construction crew will begin work on the house next week.
Verb
She spent a couple of years crewing on a British ship.
The ship was crewed by 12 men.
Recent Examples on the Web
Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
The Bachelor will always find a wife in six weeks, Kim and Khloe will always make up, and Chrishell and crew will always wear inappropriate outfits in a professional atmosphere.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
Leonard David, Space.com, 29 Oct. 2025
SpaceX was also famously involved in funding and operating the headline-grabbing Polaris Dawn crewed commercial mission in September 2024.
—Eric Lagatta, AZCentral.com, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crew
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Noun
The ultra-soft layer has a crew neckline and ribbed cuffs and hem.
—Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
The Bachelor will always find a wife in six weeks, Kim and Khloe will always make up, and Chrishell and crew will always wear inappropriate outfits in a professional atmosphere.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
The goal of the gathering in Honolulu, Hawaii is to help prepare for an onslaught of upcoming robotic and crewed expeditions by multiple nations to explore for, investigate and ultimately utilize lunar polar volatiles.
—Leonard David, Space.com, 29 Oct. 2025
SpaceX was also famously involved in funding and operating the headline-grabbing Polaris Dawn crewed commercial mission in September 2024.
—Eric Lagatta, AZCentral.com, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crew
Cite this Entry
“Crew.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crew. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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