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
Go early for a free tree sapling, buy native plants, and visit with Johnson County K-State Research and Extension master gardeners, Extension master naturalists, nonprofit organizations and local plant societies.
—
Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 7 Mar. 2025
The spectacle of corporations changing their posture in waves, like groves of saplings in a storm, may seem startling.
—Jeff Sommer, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
After a forest is logged, that land is often re-planted with new saplings.
—Ethan Freedman, Popular Science, 29 Jan. 2025
The sapling needs care and attention to grow, and the gardener needs to provide that care and attention.
—Kate Vitasek, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sapling
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Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 7 Mar. 2025
The spectacle of corporations changing their posture in waves, like groves of saplings in a storm, may seem startling.
—Jeff Sommer, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
After a forest is logged, that land is often re-planted with new saplings.
—Ethan Freedman, Popular Science, 29 Jan. 2025
The sapling needs care and attention to grow, and the gardener needs to provide that care and attention.
—Kate Vitasek, Forbes, 26 Feb. 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 24 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sapling
noun
sap·ling
ˈsap-liŋ 
: a young tree
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