How to Use citronella in a Sentence

citronella

noun
  • Water citronella plants growing in the ground when the top two inches of soil feel dry to the touch.
    Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Aug. 2022
  • Bonus points for the easy-to-distribute fine mist and citronella to help ward off pests.
    Katy Kiick Condon, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Mar. 2023
  • They’re even designed to hold citronella oil to help ward off any pesky bugs as well.
    Jamie Weissman, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 July 2023
  • Water your citronella plant whenever the soil is dry to the touch.
    Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Aug. 2022
  • Headed outside to find the citronella tin had been moved.
    Rasputin Todd, Cincinnati.com, 11 May 2018
  • Alternatives like the citronella spray didn’t work as well and tend to be oily.
    Brad Moon, WIRED, 23 July 2012
  • The smoke smelled comforting—like a mixture of sage and resin, citronella and my grandpa.
    M. R. O’Connor, The New Yorker, 29 Feb. 2024
  • Staff and visitors found its citronella aroma hard to take, and the piece came down in July.
    Cate McQuaid, BostonGlobe.com, 21 Aug. 2019
  • And at Amazon, a citronella candle set is already on sale ahead of Prime Day.
    Nicol Natale, Peoplemag, 4 July 2023
  • Try putting citronella candles in them for a buggy night.
    Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 2 Aug. 2023
  • Go beyond smelly sprays and citronella candles with these top picks.
    Kaitlyn McInnis, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Apr. 2023
  • Some people swear by citronella candles, others hold fast to their Avon Skin So Soft bath oil.
    Elizabeth Myong, Houston Chronicle, 20 June 2018
  • Instead, be sure to place a lantern with a citronella candle on every table.
    Madeleine Luckel, Vogue, 20 June 2017
  • Keep glow sticks, citronella candles and tiki torches out of pet's reach.
    Leada Gore, AL.com, 4 July 2017
  • The sun is high, the mosquitoes are biting and the age-old rivalry between citronella and bug zappers lives on.
    Sydney Maki, Sacramento Bee, 31 Jan. 2024
  • There’s also a sitting area and plunge pool outside, and the staff has already thoughtfully lit citronella candles to keep the bugs away.
    Tanvi Chheda, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2024
  • Citronella Candle Ditch the bug spray in favor of a stylish citronella candle.
    Stephanie Perry, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 May 2020
  • Among all of the essential oils, Coats has found that the ones that generally work best against ticks are lemongrass oil, amyris oil, oil of citronella, and peppermint.
    Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 12 June 2023
  • Forget the bugs and pests, these warm nights are too good not to enjoy-especially if we're properly stocked on the best citronella candles out there.
    Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 11 June 2021
  • Hot grills, charcoal, lighter fluid and citronella candles can also harm your pet.
    Susannah Bryan, Sun-Sentinel.com, 2 July 2018
  • Here are three lighters that will light a campfire, backyard grill, citronella candle, or tiki torch no matter the conditions.
    The Editors, Field & Stream, 14 Apr. 2020
  • But a few commenters in response suggested mesh food nets or citronella candles for keeping pests away.
    Christina Montoya Fiedler, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 June 2023
  • Their tiki torches may be fueled by citronella but their ideas are fueled by hate, & have no place in civil society.
    David Caraccio, sacbee, 14 Aug. 2017
  • The best mosquito repellent plants are basil, citronella, and catnip.
    Kate McGregor, House Beautiful, 29 June 2023
  • Her DIY flea and tick repellant recipe uses five to 10 drops each of high-quality cedarwood, lavender and citronella essential oils to eight ounces of water in a glass spray bottle.
    Jessica Peralta, Orange County Register, 22 May 2017
  • Herbs such as catnip, rosemary and basil are good deterrents as are marigolds, scented geranium and lemon grass, which contains citronella often found in candles.
    Suzanne Baker, Naperville Sun, 29 May 2018
  • What’s more, a recent study in the Journal of Insect Science found that sprays with citronella and other essential oils did little if anything to repel mosquitoes.
    Kari Molvar, Vogue, 18 June 2018
  • Naturally repel them while setting the mood with a citronella candle.
    Wendy Vazquez, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 May 2023
  • Create a lovely ambiance with this collection of tea light citronella candles.
    Rachel Klein, Popular Mechanics, 23 June 2022
  • In theory, the combination of eucalyptus, chili, cloves, cayenne pepper, neem, tea tree oil, citronella and beeswax creates an odor that sharks dislike and will seek to avoid if applied to a surfboard.
    Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 7 July 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'citronella.' 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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