How to Use papery in a Sentence

papery

adjective
  • Leave the waxy, papery skin on each clove.
    — Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 3 Mar. 2026
  • The wasps build their nests by breaking down plant and wood fibers to form a papery substance.
    — Patricia S York, Southern Living, 21 June 2026
  • The wasps build their nests by breaking down plant and wood fibers to form a papery substance.
    — Patricia S York, Southern Living, 3 June 2026
  • Green hydrangea varieties have a waxy feel, while the other types are papery to the touch.
    — Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 25 Apr. 2026
  • In many cases, these brown lines have a dry, papery texture that's left behind as the plant grows and unfurls new leaves.
    — Heather Bien, The Spruce, 7 June 2026
  • Unlike the papery hives of social wasps, mud dauber wasps build small clusters or tubular structures from mud.
    — Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
  • Leaving bulb whole, remove any loose, papery outer layers.
    — Jenavieve Christensen, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Jan. 2026
  • These gorgeous plants don’t mind the heat and humidity, and their lovely, papery blooms last for weeks and weeks throughout the summer.
    — Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 25 Aug. 2025
  • When selecting onions, look for those that are without blemishes or discoloration, feel firm, and have dry, papery skins.
    — Melissa Porrey Lpc, Verywell Health, 17 Nov. 2025
  • Woven patches have a dry, papery hand feel, in contrast to the glossier finish of contemporary labels.
    — Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 3 Oct. 2025
  • These charming cool-season flowers are known for their showy, delicate, papery blooms and exceptional vase life.
    — Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 13 Mar. 2026
  • After chilling the garlic bulbs, gently break the garlic cloves apart with your fingers, keeping as much papery skin on the cloves as possible.
    — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Nov. 2025
  • Plant Correctly Plant the cloves with their papery skins, pointed ends up, about 2 to 4 inches deep in your prepared planting spot.
    — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Long-lasting summer blooms resemble camellias, with papery white petals surrounding golden stamens.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 3 Mar. 2026
  • Long-lasting summer blooms resemble camellias, with papery white petals surrounding golden stamens.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Understanding Paper Wasps These wasps make papery nests by scraping and chewing wood into a paste-like pulp—sort of like spit-balls.
    — Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 2 May 2026
  • Hornet nests are made from a papery substance, are usually a closed structure that’s cylindrical in form, and may be built in the eaves of your home, under a roof, in a tree, or in another sheltered spot.
    — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 June 2026
  • Zones 3-9 The brightly colored flowers of Oriental poppies (Papaver orientale), with their delicate, papery petals, bloom in mid to late spring, sometimes until early summer.
    — Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Sep. 2025

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