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
These cedar saplings are essential for constructing the traditional dwellings of Eastern Woodlands tribes.
—
Brittney Melton, NPR, 13 Oct. 2025
The summer noise of saplings and shrubs and bug nests and grass and flowers had been muffled by the snow.
—Hazlitt, 8 Oct. 2025
Skilled operators tend to target invasive shrubs, vines that choke desirable trees, and excessive saplings, while preserving mature canopy and valuable understory.
—Jon Stojan, USA Today, 6 Oct. 2025
Today, those invaders have been cleared, and more than 100,000 native saplings have grown into a lush forest cover that’s now home to sunbirds, bulbuls, geckos and chameleons.
—Chris Schalkx, Vogue, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sapling
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Brittney Melton, NPR, 13 Oct. 2025
The summer noise of saplings and shrubs and bug nests and grass and flowers had been muffled by the snow.
—Hazlitt, 8 Oct. 2025
Skilled operators tend to target invasive shrubs, vines that choke desirable trees, and excessive saplings, while preserving mature canopy and valuable understory.
—Jon Stojan, USA Today, 6 Oct. 2025
Today, those invaders have been cleared, and more than 100,000 native saplings have grown into a lush forest cover that’s now home to sunbirds, bulbuls, geckos and chameleons.
—Chris Schalkx, Vogue, 30 Sep. 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 21 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sapling
noun
sap·ling
ˈsap-liŋ 
: a young tree
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