How to Use poison oak in a Sentence

poison oak

noun
  • What does poison oak look like?
    — Hannah Yasharoff, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025
  • Keep an eye out for poison oak, which lines parts of the trail here.
    — Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 June 2024
  • But on top of it, have poison oak on my manly parts.
    — Outside Online, 18 Feb. 2026
  • Watch for poison oak, swift rapids, slick rock, and burning sun.
    — Chris Van Leuven, Outside Online, 19 Oct. 2022
  • The best way to deal with poison oak is to avoid getting it in the first place.
    — Justin Ray, Los Angeles Times, 21 Dec. 2021
  • Keep an eye out, though, for poison oak, as it’s found throughout the canyon.
    — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2025
  • The acreage is largely given over to fir trees and poison oak.
    — Lizzie Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle, 28 Jan. 2018
  • The trail does pass over a small flowing creek, but keep an eye out for poison oak near the water.
    — Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
  • That’s poison oak growing up a Douglas fir tree.
    — New York Times, 16 May 2026
  • Its sparse plant life consists of scraggly shrubs and pines, along with thickets of poison oak.
    — Heather Knight, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2023
  • Do keep an eye out for poison oak, which appears to be thriving in some creekside areas.
    — John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 4 May 2026
  • But remember that on poison oak and poison ivy, the top leaf will always have a longer stem.
    — New York Times, 16 May 2026
  • On trails, runners are being good about standing aside to let others pass but may pay the price with poison oak.
    — Ann Killion, SFChronicle.com, 2 Apr. 2020
  • Participants should wear long pants to protect against poison oak.
    — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
  • See where So, please don't eat poison oak — and try using one of these eight problem plants with your meal instead.
    — Brandi D. Addison, Austin American-Statesman, 4 June 2024
  • Poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac all contain the same rash-inducing oil.
    — Christopher Bergland, Verywell Health, 3 July 2024
  • Killing poison oak keeps it from spreading but doesn't completely remove the hazard.
    — Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Sep. 2024
  • The urushiol oil that causes poison sumac rash is also found in poison ivy and poison oak.
    — Christopher Bergland, Verywell Health, 3 July 2024
  • What is the difference between poison ivy, poison sumac, and poison oak?
    — Everyday Einstein Sabrina Stierwalt, Scientific American, 26 Jan. 2020
  • This sap, which is also found in poison oak and poison sumac, is called urushiol and can cause a severe rash that lingers for weeks.
    — Rachel Nall, Msn, SELF, 15 July 2022
  • The area is also home to black bears, rattlesnakes, and poison oak, in addition to the more friendly deer and otters.
    — Sunset, 22 Jan. 2018
  • The worst hazard for a person on the hunt for the Hyperion might be a bad case of poison oak.
    — Gale Holland, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2022
  • Not to mention poison oak and killer bees and the potential for the hillside to give way and crush everything below it.
    — T. Coraghessan Boyle, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Her body was found about a mile away after a three-day search through the rugged blackberry bushes and poison oak that choke the walls of the steep, rugged canyon.
    — Ryan Sabalow, sacbee, 19 Dec. 2017
  • In some cases, your dog won’t react to a plant, but can transfer an allergen to you, like in the case of poison oak and poison ivy.
    — Amelia Arvesen, Outside Online, 5 Apr. 2025
  • Hikers or runners should watch for poison oak, ticks, rattlesnakes or hazardous trail conditions.
    — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 12 May 2026
  • There are posted warnings at the site for everything from rattlesnakes to poison oak, but nothing about the shootings.
    — Carter Evans, CBS News, 29 June 2018
  • Poison hemlock typically isn't poisonous to the touch, like species such as poison ivy and poison oak.
    — Marina Johnson, Detroit Free Press, 10 Aug. 2023
  • Like its cousins, poison oak and poison ivy, poison sumac contains urushiol in every part of the plant, but is more toxic.
    — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Sep. 2024
  • Going off trail in the grasslands not only disturbs the homes of wildlife but also puts visitors at risk for snake bites, ticks and poison oak.
    — San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 May 2021

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