How to Use holly in a Sentence

holly

noun
  • You might be better served by dwarf hollies here.
    — Neil Sperry, San Antonio Express-News, 6 Mar. 2026
  • The birds get food, and the holly trees get their seeds dispersed.
    — BostonGlobe.com, 5 Dec. 2019
  • Deck the halls with boughs of holly, Fa la la la la, la la la la.
    — Sarah Kuta, The Know, 29 Nov. 2019
  • Thomas pointed out a holly tree pressed against the front windows.
    — Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 June 2025
  • Above those, tuck in short branches of holly around the entire edge.
    — Karen Hugg, Washington Post, 22 Nov. 2023
  • This season, deck the halls with boughs of holly—and bouts of laughter!
    — Jennifer Aldrich, Country Living, 27 Aug. 2019
  • In fall, line the stairs with pumpkins; in winter, swap them for pine boughs and holly.
    — Angie Hicks, Boston Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
  • No shining silver eyes, no dark mass in a bark-brown suit, no crown of thorny holly.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Dwarf Burford hollies do pull water out of the soil.
    — Neil Sperry, San Antonio Express-News, 20 Feb. 2026
  • For a smaller holly that deer do not eat, select the dwarf yaupon holly.
    — Calvin Finch, San Antonio Express-News, 30 Apr. 2021
  • The most tender holly varieties dropped their leaves as soon as the cold snap was over.
    — Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 14 Jan. 2023
  • Sea holly flowers can be preserved for months as dry flowers.
    — Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 14 Mar. 2025
  • Ready to deck your halls with boughs of holly, ornaments, and twinkling lights?
    — Kelsey Mulvey, House Beautiful, 28 Nov. 2022
  • Many home landscapes do not have a lot of space, so this is a great space saving idea that has all the hollies with fruit.
    — Dick Crum, Indianapolis Star, 23 Dec. 2017
  • As native plants, most hollies need very little pruning.
    — Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 20 Jan. 2026
  • Holiday movie lovers will not want to miss out on this holly jolly voyage!
    — Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 19 July 2023
  • The shrub forms of holly are by far the most widely planted in the Midwest.
    — Dick Crum, Indianapolis Star, 23 Dec. 2017
  • Pasta shapes include a tree, candle, holly, present, and star.
    — Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 8 Dec. 2025
  • The sight of boughs of holly and string lights can warm you even in the coldest temperatures.
    — Katrina Brown Hunt, Travel + Leisure, 22 Sep. 2023
  • This holly tolerates a wide range of soils and can withstand both drought and flooding.
    — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Apr. 2026
  • The list would include junipers, waxleaf ligustrums and hollies.
    — Neil Sperry, star-telegram, 26 Jan. 2018
  • Add a pop of color by adding holly sprigs to window boxes, wreaths, and garlands.
    — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Nov. 2025
  • Pale sand dunes covered in sea grass and holly trees are muted against the men in neon swim briefs who wander through them.
    — Evan Moffitt, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2023
  • Grab your shaker, your favorite bottle, and maybe a sprig of holly for good measure.
    — Emily Price, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
  • Sea holly grows well in poor, dry soil and full sun, and will even thrive in exposed, windy areas of your garden.
    — Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 14 Apr. 2026
  • For fruit production, a male holly plant needs to be planted nearby.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 5 Feb. 2026
  • Like hollies, a male and female plant is needed for fruit production.
    — Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp, Indianapolis Star, 27 Oct. 2017
  • This holly is pest-free and deer resistant for easy maintenance.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 30 Dec. 2025
  • Ahead, 19 holly jolly locales across the states to head for this season.
    — Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 14 Dec. 2025
  • Most mahonia shrubs have glossy, holly-like leaves and produce long, grape-like clusters of berries.
    — Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 3 Jan. 2026

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