1
: a young tree
specifically
: one not over four inches (about 10 centimeters) in diameter at breast height
2
Examples of sapling in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Grow Monrovia, a nonprofit community nursery and gardens on the grounds of the Maryknoll Sisters retirement home, is providing free oak saplings to residents of Foothills communities from Pasadena to Glendora on Oct. 7, 16, 21 and 28.
—
Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2024
That work includes setting up a lab to grow coral for the creation of new reefs and, by 2030, planting more than 50 million mangroves, plus 30 million saplings and shrubs, to improve green cover and reduce erosion.
—Prasad Ramamurthy, Travel + Leisure, 11 Oct. 2024
This helps conserve soil moisture and manages weeds that compete with saplings for water and nutrients.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 4 Sep. 2024
Now, 49 saplings—each representing a foot of the tree’s height—will be given to groups across the United Kingdom.
—Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sapling 
Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2024
That work includes setting up a lab to grow coral for the creation of new reefs and, by 2030, planting more than 50 million mangroves, plus 30 million saplings and shrubs, to improve green cover and reduce erosion.
—Prasad Ramamurthy, Travel + Leisure, 11 Oct. 2024
This helps conserve soil moisture and manages weeds that compete with saplings for water and nutrients.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 4 Sep. 2024
Now, 49 saplings—each representing a foot of the tree’s height—will be given to groups across the United Kingdom.
—Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sapling
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sapling.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Sapling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sapling. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sapling
noun
sap·ling
ˈsap-liŋ 
: a young tree
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