How to Use scaly in a Sentence

scaly

adjective
  • His skin was dry and scaly.
  • Also, its bark is thicker and scalier and its cones are rounder.
    — Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
  • The tree has smooth bark that is grayish brown and becomes scaly with age.
    — Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
  • Hives cause bumps or welts on the skin, while eczema leads to rashes and dry and scaly skin.
    — Mark Gurarie, Health, 6 Feb. 2025
  • The pants and socks are also swamp green, but don’t have the scaly pattern.
    — Michelle Kaufman, miamiherald, 10 Oct. 2017
  • Don’t let a little scaly skin distract from how cute your new bathing suit is.
    — Jackie Fields, PEOPLE.com, 29 May 2017
  • Ringworm of the scalp, which is called tinea capitis, can cause scaly, red bald spots.
    — Health Editorial Team, Health, 30 Oct. 2023
  • The buildup of skin cells create scaly, patches that can itch, hurt, crust up, and bleed.
    — Mona Gohara, Good Housekeeping, 11 Aug. 2022
  • The Tyrannosaurus rex may have had scaly lips that covered their teeth.
    — Julia Musto, Fox News, 31 Mar. 2023
  • The young man’s feet were scaly and white, a sign of dehydration.
    — Rachelle Krygier, Washington Post, 6 Sep. 2017
  • The build-up of skin cells create scaly, patches that can itch, hurt, crust up, and bleed.
    — Mona Gohara, Good Housekeeping, 13 Mar. 2018
  • Like most vultures, turkey and black vultures have bare heads and scaly skin.
    — Don Lyman, BostonGlobe.com, 19 June 2019
  • Other than that, though, this park management sim is its own scaly beast.
    — Steven Strom, Ars Technica, 19 June 2018
  • Those scaly portions are lichens that encrust weak or slow-growing plants.
    — Tom MacCubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, 5 Aug. 2017
  • The rash may be scaly, bumpy, or blistered, and can occur anywhere on the body.
    — Andi Breitowich, Women's Health, 8 Sep. 2023
  • All eight species of these shy, scaly creatures are said to be the most trafficked mammals in the world.
    — National Geographic, 19 Mar. 2020
  • But something caught the scaly animal and hauled it to the surface.
    — Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 24 June 2024
  • These scaly animals can weigh up to about 77 pounds and live in burrows.
    — Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 7 June 2024
  • The scaly creatures require rocky, open areas to bask, experts say.
    — Tanasia Kenney, Sacramento Bee, 11 Feb. 2025
  • All eight species of the scaly, anteater-like mammals are threatened with extinction.
    — National Geographic, 20 Dec. 2019
  • But scratching, picking at scaly areas, harsh treatments, and stress can lead to hair loss.
    — Lana Barhum, Verywell Health, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Holding the handles felt strange—like grabbing the scaly foot of a large bird that’s clutching a rock.
    — Olga Ingurazova, Smithsonian, 29 Sep. 2017
  • And with more of the scaly beasts on hand than riders to mount them, what is the Black Queen to do?
    — Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 14 July 2024
  • In the spring, the beetles will emerge from the bag and begin feeding on those pesky scaly insects and aphids.
    — Patricia S York, Southern Living, 2 July 2023
  • African spiny mice are small to medium sized rodents with spiny hairs on their upper body, large eyes and ears, and scaly tails.
    — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 24 May 2023
  • That and a general sense of the skin having turned into parchment overnight—dry to the point of scaly.
    — Adam Hurly, GQ, 12 Dec. 2017
  • Something on the tree — a 3-foot-long, scaly creature — caught their attention.
    — Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 9 May 2024
  • Read Next World Elusive scaly creature with blue mouth and green blood is a new species.
    — Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Eczema, which looks like red, patchy, scaly areas of skin, and contact dermatitis are among the most common.
    — Wendy Wisner, Health, 18 Apr. 2025
  • What appears to be a cherubic baby Hercules sits on the back of a scaly dragon.
    — Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2024

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

Last Updated: