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
The president will participate at 10:30 a.m. in the planting of a sapling to take the place of the White House Andrew Jackson magnolia tree removed Monday because of age and safety.
—
Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 8 Apr. 2025
The Parks Department also planted nearly 100 saplings in the area.
—Yessenia Funes, Curbed, 14 Aug. 2024
To prevent the needless destruction of Morinda trees, the foundation experimented with growing saplings in polythene bags in its nursery and harvesting the roots after about eight to 10 months.
—Anne Pinto-Rodrigues, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Mar. 2025
Once the sapling is a foot tall, cut the main stem of the sapling about 1/3 of the way down, just above a node.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sapling
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 8 Apr. 2025
The Parks Department also planted nearly 100 saplings in the area.
—Yessenia Funes, Curbed, 14 Aug. 2024
To prevent the needless destruction of Morinda trees, the foundation experimented with growing saplings in polythene bags in its nursery and harvesting the roots after about eight to 10 months.
—Anne Pinto-Rodrigues, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Mar. 2025
Once the sapling is a foot tall, cut the main stem of the sapling about 1/3 of the way down, just above a node.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sapling
Cite this Entry
“Sapling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sapling. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sapling
noun
sap·ling
ˈsap-liŋ 
: a young tree
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share