How to Use photosynthesis in a Sentence

photosynthesis

noun
  • When the sun sets or the lights go out, photosynthesis stops.
    — Heidi Mitchell, WSJ, 10 Nov. 2018
  • Like any plant, grass needs to make food through photosynthesis.
    — Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Plants use it in photosynthesis, their process of making food.
    — John Flesher, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 May 2021
  • Green plants get the energy to grow from the sun through the process of photosynthesis.
    — Steven Savage, Forbes, 25 Apr. 2022
  • Green stems, leaves and flowers are full of water, and plants need it for photosynthesis.
    — Beth Botts, chicagotribune.com, 25 Apr. 2021
  • The weight of the ash may have damaged them, and the ash layer will disrupt photosynthesis.
    — Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 20 Jan. 2022
  • In return, the algae make food for the polyps through photosynthesis.
    — Lela Nargi, Washington Post, 16 Aug. 2022
  • Those leaves are like solar panels for the plant, making food for the bulb via photosynthesis.
    — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 May 2025
  • To help your indoor plants thrive, both during photosynthesis and growth, a good electric grow light is a must.
    — Kat De Naoum, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Oct. 2022
  • When limbs are removed, a lot of needles are lost where photosynthesis would have occurred.
    — Debbie Arrington, sacbee, 20 Apr. 2018
  • Kail notes that this stands the grass blades up, allowing sunlight to hit the crown and start photosynthesis.
    — Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 21 Feb. 2026
  • Plants that engage in photosynthesis use carbon dioxide from the air to grow.
    — Inês Azevedo, Foreign Affairs, 13 Apr. 2020
  • The substance blankets the leaves of plants and blocks photosynthesis.
    — Beth Burger, Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati.com, 24 Jan. 2020
  • Trees take carbon out of the atmosphere through photosynthesis, so planting more of them is one way to do this.
    — Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 16 June 2019
  • Remove cloth once the heat has passed to ensure that plants can resume normal photosynthesis in full sun.
    — Caralin Nunes, The Arizona Republic, 18 Mar. 2024
  • When plants perform photosynthesis, the carbon becomes part of their leaves, stems and trunks.
    — Smithsonian Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Nov. 2023
  • These leaves are essential for photosynthesis, which recharges the bulb for next year’s flowers.
    — Clarence Schmidt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
  • The smoke from the blast site could block out sunlight and hinder life forms at sea that depend on photosynthesis to survive.
    — Marina Koren, The Atlantic, 22 Sep. 2017
  • On land, most of the photosynthesis which provides the biomass and energy needed for life takes place in plants.
    — The Economist, 20 Aug. 2020
  • This tree growth can produce enough photosynthesis to feed the tree enough through the year to produce new growth the following year.
    — oregonlive, 14 June 2020
  • Plants absorb carbon from the atmosphere through photosynthesis, and then put it in the soil through their roots.
    — David McKenzie, CNN, 6 Mar. 2020
  • The rate of photosynthesis slows down and the amount of water houseplants can absorb is reduced.
    — Lauren David, Southern Living, 21 Dec. 2025
  • It's earned its name because a small amount of light penetrates the region, yet not enough for photosynthesis.
    — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, 19 June 2018
  • Through the process of photosynthesis, plants take in and use carbon dioxide gas to produce oxygen.
    — Nayeli Lomeli, USA TODAY, 13 Sep. 2021
  • When fall arrives and the amount of daylight wanes, photosynthesis comes to a halt and chlorophyl dwindles.
    — Matthew Cappucci, Washington Post, 20 Sep. 2017
  • Even though covered with mildew, leaves are still able to carry on photosynthesis at a reduced level, and thus feed their roots.
    — Ellen Nibali, baltimoresun.com, 29 Aug. 2017
  • This allows the plant to have a little more foliage for photosynthesis and shading fruit.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 14 June 2026
  • But photosynthesis isn’t complete at that stage.
    — Quanta Magazine, 10 June 2026
  • This leaf likely fell off a tree in the fall once the trees paused photosynthesis for the winter and sank to the bottom of the lake, where it was buried.
    — Robert Patalano, Discover Magazine, 9 Feb. 2024
  • Your tomatoes are growing so quickly right now, that the younger leaves will make up for any photosynthesis deficit from the older leaves.
    — oregonlive, 23 Apr. 2022

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