How to Use hydrophobic in a Sentence

hydrophobic

adjective
  • If the water sits on the surface after one minute, the soil is hydrophobic.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 18 Oct. 2025
  • If the water sits on the surface after one minute, the soil is hydrophobic.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 23 Apr. 2026
  • Some anglers prefer a hydrophobic powder to keep their flies afloat.
    — Matthew Every, Field & Stream, 16 Sep. 2020
  • These fibers are inherently hydrophobic, durable and easy to care for.
    — Amanda Constantine, Good Housekeeping, 30 Jan. 2023
  • If the water is still sitting on the surface after one minute, the soil is hydrophobic.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 16 Aug. 2025
  • Steep slopes and an imminent monsoon mean the hydrophobic ground is ripe for erosion.
    — AZCentral.com, 28 June 2021
  • Many soils become hydrophobic when overly dry and can be difficult to rewet.
    — Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 June 2026
  • Potted plants dry out quickly, and soil can easily become hydrophobic if left dry for too long.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 16 Aug. 2025
  • Remember that potting mix can dry out and become hydrophobic.
    — Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 May 2026
  • And fire scorches the ground, turning it hydrophobic, meaning the soil can't absorb any water.
    — AZCentral.com, 28 June 2021
  • Some of the amino acids are hydrophobic (water-fearing), and some are hydrophilic (water-loving).
    — Alice Chi Phung, Discover Magazine, 8 Mar. 2016
  • The lenses bring in a great amount of light to work well in dim conditions and are even hydrophobic to repel moisture and keep images clear.
    — Kevin Cortez, Popular Mechanics, 5 June 2023
  • The trick is a deft blend of both hydrophobic and hydrophilic yarns in a knit structure that promotes airflow and keeps just the right amount of moisture against the skin.
    — Outside Online, 14 Sep. 2021
  • This fungal disease can produce mushrooms, and both green and hydrophobic (extremely dry) rings.
    — oregonlive, 21 Aug. 2021
  • Delta fabric is engineered with a mix of hydrophobic and hydrophilic yarns to speed sweat evaporation.
    — Joe Lindsey, Outside Online, 1 June 2021
  • They're also polarized to reduce glare and treated with a hydrophobic coating.
    — Adrienne So, WIRED, 5 July 2019
  • Designed for everyday use, this strap is resistant to water, sweat and spills, thanks to hydrophobic leather, and the lugs and buckle are made from stainless steel.
    — Ellen McAlpine, CNN Underscored, 13 Aug. 2020
  • Because the water–food coloring mixture avoids the Sharpie’s hydrophobic ink, the droplets would follow the contours of the tracks.
    — Sarah Lewin Frasier, Scientific American, 11 Mar. 2015
  • Heavy rains can essentially separate the upper layers of the soil from the hydrophobic layer below.
    — Kendra Pierre-Louis, The Atlantic, 29 Mar. 2022
  • This causes the outside layer of the mask to be hydrophobic, which prevents it from absorbing water if it's worn in the rain or while exercising.
    — Zoe Malin, NBC News, 31 July 2020
  • The beetle’s wings are studded with hydrophilic bumps that collect water droplets, and hydrophobic channels that funnel water droplets into the bug’s mouth.
    — Jeffery Delviscio, Scientific American, 21 Dec. 2022
  • The moth-eye nanostructures mimic this effect, and a hydrophobic coating is applied in the fabrication process.
    — Sylvia Morrow, Discover Magazine, 22 June 2017
  • Elastic bands at the ankle and midfoot keep the sock in place, while Drymax’s hydrophobic dual-layer fabric removes sweat to keep your dogs dry.
    — Graham Averill, Outside Online, 10 Nov. 2020
  • His team recently found that simple criteria—like how small and hydrophobic the molecules are—can forecast which chemicals give off a smell in the first place.
    — Abigail Tucker, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Sep. 2022
  • In short, three-layer masks are the best, with hydrophobic material on the outside and hydrophilic materials on the inside.
    — Eric Bangeman, Ars Technica, 24 Dec. 2020
  • The three-layer jacket is spun from a waterproof but breathable membrane that's lighter and softer-feeling than other hydrophobic fabrics.
    — Matt Jancer, Wired, 17 Dec. 2019
  • Because the hydrocarbon bonds are hydrophobic (or water-repelling), the surface will become slick and nonstick.
    — Danny Perez, Popular Mechanics, 8 May 2023
  • To capture the heat, the team built out a stack of water channels, separated by porous hydrophobic membranes and heat conduction layers.
    — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, 11 July 2019
  • The cactuses have taken to the burn scar unlike trees in replanting efforts elsewhere in the state because the soil didn't become hydrophobic, or glass-like, after the fire.
    — Zayna Syed, The Arizona Republic, 5 June 2022
  • The hydrophobic environment of the cell membrane though is full of other molecules in between the phospholipids that do various things.
    — Gabriel A. Silva, Forbes, 2 Aug. 2022

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