How to Use clay in a Sentence

clay

noun
  • Well-drained, dry, sandy, clay.
    — Cori Sears, The Spruce, 16 June 2026
  • Is the sky too close to the clay tile roofs?
    — Xuan Juliana Wang, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
  • The white clay room and red clay room were on point.
    — Essence, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Nakashima and Tien aren’t big fans of clay.
    — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 21 May 2026
  • Check out our list of the best hair clays for men to try now.
    — Garrett Munce, Men's Health, 20 July 2023
  • The heads may be bronze, but the feet can turn out to be clay.
    — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Fitz loves to play in the clay and dirt and splash around in the rain.
    — Sylvia Goodman, The Courier-Journal, 13 Aug. 2021
  • Use the palms of your hands to squeeze the clay inward.
    — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
  • Shnaider said there wasn’t much clay left on the court as the match wore on.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 3 June 2026
  • The best part about clay is it can be formed into any shape.
    — Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 25 Apr. 2026
  • Do not roll the rice with both hands, like playing with clay.
    — ABC News, 3 June 2026
  • Avoid heavy clay soils, and amend with grit or peat if needed.
    — Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 3 Jan. 2026
  • Think of wet clay that gets squeezed flat and hardens in place.
    — Briana Alvarado, ABC News, 1 May 2026
  • Balls jump and kick off the clay in the heat of the Paris sun.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Moles prefer soft, sandy soils and tend to avoid heavy or clay soils.
    — Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Amend or avoid areas with heavy clay soils that can lead to root rot.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 12 Mar. 2026
  • The coach then grabs her by the jacket and swings her down to the clay.
    — Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 2 Nov. 2022
  • They’re made from clay and so durable they can be used to build roadways.
    — Tim Carter, Chicago Tribune, 21 July 2023
  • Plants that like soggy or clay soil or lots of shade aren’t a good fit.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 3 Mar. 2026
  • Part of that has to do with the actual clay.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Better clay helps make for a better pot.
    — Carl Anka, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
  • The clay underneath the lamp will soon turn soft.
    — Hazlitt, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Sandy soil is more prone to hydrophobia than loam or clay.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 23 Apr. 2026
  • Sandy soil is more prone to hydrophobia than loam or clay.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 18 Oct. 2025
  • One clench of the molars and the whole thing breaks apart like a hunk of dense clay.
    — Ali Francis, Bon Appétit, 15 Mar. 2022
  • Kostyuk has been the best player of the clay-court season.
    — ABC News, 31 May 2026
  • The storm had loosened the piece of clay from a nearby cliff face.
    — Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025
  • That doesn't mean clay soil is a dealbreaker.
    — Rachel Silva, Martha Stewart, 12 June 2026
  • Green means a lot of clay, with small layers of sand and gravel.
    — WIRED, 27 Jan. 2023
  • In gardens with heavy clay soil, amend it to improve drainage.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 27 Apr. 2026

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