Strew, straw, scatter, sow, broadcast can mean to throw loosely or at intervals.
Strew and the less common straw usually imply a spreading at intervals, but the intervals may be so fine as not to be obvious or so great that each thing may be separately identified.
Scatter (see also SCATTER ) implies a separation of parts or pieces, but it distinctively implies a throwing that lets the things fall where they will.
Sow basically implies the strewing of seeds where they will sprout and develop <surrounding fields have been sown … with squash, pumpkin, and maize —Science > or in its extended use the strewing of something comparable to seed that can be disseminated (as throughout a group, a community, or an organization).
Broadcast (see also DECLARE ) implies a scattering widely or in all directions.