How to Use leaf out in a Sentence

leaf out

verb
  • With heavy, wet snow fully leafed out trees could be at risk.
    — Alex Lehnert, CBS News, 4 May 2026
  • That is when the trees leaf out, and the grass starts growing.
    — Larry Figart, Florida Times-Union, 10 Jan. 2026
  • Trees may leaf out later than usual.
    — Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 29 Dec. 2025
  • Prune off any branch tips that remain bare after the rest of the shrub has fully leafed out.
    — Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 2 Mar. 2026
  • Net has been taking a leaf out of the Mytheresa playbook.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 6 Nov. 2025
  • These trees should leaf out in spring and are usually productive in their first year.
    — Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 2 May 2026
  • Also, if limbs aren't leafing out normally in spring, this can be a sign of disease.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2026
  • These trees may be leafing out, not as quickly, maybe producing smaller leaves.
    — March 9, CBS News, 9 Mar. 2026
  • Some plants, like woodland spring ephemerals, have adapted to bloom before larger trees leaf out and block the sun.
    — Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 9 Jan. 2026
  • This timing aligns with the tree's natural growth cycle, as cherry trees start to leaf out early.
    — Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 22 Feb. 2026
  • Applying compost around the base of daylilies in spring, before your plants leaf out, enhances blooming.
    — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Nov. 2025
  • The best time to fertilize most fruit trees is in early spring when the plants are just beginning to leaf out and develop buds.
    — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 June 2026
  • Sow in the spring before the trees leaf out so your radishes benefit from extra sunshine early in their growth cycle.
    — Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 May 2026
  • Fanning isn’t the only one taking a leaf out of this Betty Crocker-style of dressing, either.
    — Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2026
  • Install this leaf insulation after the ground freezes and remove it when temperatures warm in spring to ensure your plants leaf out well.
    — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Nov. 2025
  • These protein-rich crops get started in early spring—often before deciduous trees leaf out, which may give your plants a boost of sunshine early in the season.
    — Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 May 2026
  • While palm trees offer no resistance to the wind and may shed all of their leaves in a hurricane, as long as the growing tip at the top of the trunk remains intact, the tree will leaf out once again.
    — Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 4 June 2026
  • Alternatively, the flowers do well under shrubs that leaf out to provide shady conditions as the season warms up, helping extend the blooms.
    — Michelle Mastro, Architectural Digest, 24 Mar. 2026
  • To navigate a heavyweight corporate quandary, take a leaf out of Intel’s brilliant playbook — walk out, and return as your own successor.
    — L. David Marquet, Big Think, 18 Aug. 2025
  • Pruning perennials at the right time encourages plants to leaf out, grow bushier, develop sturdier stems, and potentially produce more flowers.
    — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Jan. 2026
  • In Panorama City, Cottonwood Urban Farm’s namesake tree leafed out almost a full month ahead of schedule.
    — Pedro Moura, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Once the rose has fully leafed out, apply a granular fertilizer, preferably a rose fertilizer, following the directions on the label.
    — Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 26 Feb. 2026
  • Taking a leaf out of Princess Diana's style book, Kate wore an aquamarine dress courtesy of her late mother-in-law's favorite designer, Catherine Walker.
    — Emma Banks, InStyle, 12 Apr. 2026
  • Copenhagen Fashion Week also has been taking a leaf out of the playbooks of London and Paris Fashion Week by taking guests outside the city’s perimeters.
    — Hikmat Mohammed, Footwear News, 11 Aug. 2025
  • The documentary makes the argument that the 1972 Godspell production planted seeds that would grow into a tree of many branches – one branch being SNL, another SCTV, and then leafing out into comedies like Best in Show starring Levy and SCTV alum Catherine O’Hara.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 7 Sep. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'leaf out.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: