How to Use woody in a Sentence

woody

1 of 2 adjective
  • Okay, so the next one is oud, which is a very woody kind of scent.
    — Kira Bindrim, Quartz, 23 May 2022
  • This one is deeply earthy and woody thanks to seagrass, clove leaf, and rhum agricole.
    — Christian Gollayan, Men's Health, 22 Nov. 2022
  • The Liquorice soaps offer a sweet and woody aroma drawn from licorice plant roots.
    — Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 23 Sep. 2021
  • The aroma dangling in the air is woody and sweet, like the treatment room at a five-star spa.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025
  • Lemongrass and galangal are woody things and don’t break down easily in a blender.
    — Diep Tran, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2024
  • Go the seasonal route with a woody fir-like scent or opt for a sweet peach and peony aroma.
    — Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 25 Nov. 2025
  • Go the seasonal route with a woody fir-like scent or opt for a sweet peach and peony aroma.
    — Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 1 Dec. 2025
  • Pruning keeps the plant from splitting open and becoming too woody.
    — oregonlive, 8 Aug. 2021
  • Discard the woody central clump of the plant when dividing.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Sometimes stems can be woody or difficult to remove.
    — Lauren David, Southern Living, 31 May 2026
  • Some are woody shrubs and trees, such as blueberries, peaches, and apples.
    — David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 15 Feb. 2026
  • This woody object found in your yard might be the low-effort trick to keeping your garden pest-free.
    — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 6 May 2026
  • Stick with annual, non-woody types, and remove them at the end of the growing season.
    — Kelly Roberson, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 June 2021
  • After the first frost of fall, cut back the leggiest, woodiest stems by half.
    — David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 11 Feb. 2026
  • The fragrance opens with a rush of mint and basil, followed by the balancing earthy, woody depth of cypress.
    — Angela Lei, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
  • The raw material, called hurd, is the inner, woody core of the hemp plant, chipped into small pieces.
    — From Usa Today Network and Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 30 Sep. 2022
  • These woody herbs are surprisingly hardy and adapt to weather extremes.
    — Emily Hayes, Martha Stewart, 21 May 2026
  • When allowed to grow with abandon, peach trees reach lofty heights, producing lots of woody growth and fewer fruits.
    — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Dec. 2025
  • Choose the oldest, woodiest stems, or remove those that are crossing.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 20 Aug. 2025
  • This woody deciduous shrub with a strong lemon scent can reach 4 to 5 feet tall and wide in warm climates.
    — Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2026
  • This clean, woody scent captures the essence of pine needles, sap, holly, cedar wood, and frosted balsam.
    — Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Vegetables take work to prepare, vary in quality and can be bitter or woody.
    — New York Times, 20 July 2021
  • Often when faced with a trauma, a redwood will swell a bank of dormant buds and woody tissue to create burls.
    — Greg Sullivan, AFAR Media, 15 Sep. 2025
  • This unique batch brings a bolder, woodier edge to a bourbon known for its bright fruit and delicate spice.
    — Gege Reed, Louisville Courier Journal, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Some analysis has found that, once all emissions were factored in, woody biomass could even be worse for the climate than coal.
    — Nithin Coca, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Herbaceous perennials are non-woody plants that live for several years in the garden.
    — Dan Gill, NOLA.com, 20 Jan. 2021
  • Even woodier and spicier, Lenny Kravitz is still the face of the fragrance.
    — Celia Shatzman, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
  • Rosemary that’s left unpruned can become woody with bare patches that stop producing leaves.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 9 June 2026
  • Rosemary that’s left unpruned can become woody with bare patches that stop producing leaves.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 2 Mar. 2026
  • That includes lettuce, kale, Swiss chard, strawberries and non-woody herbs such as basil, oregano, mint, and thyme.
    — Arricca Elin Sansone, Country Living, 30 June 2022

woody

2 of 2 noun
  • To prep, snap off the woody ends.
    — Zoe Denenberg, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Mar. 2026
  • The old stems grow thick, woody, and bare over time.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 25 Apr. 2026
  • The woody vines can grow to 40 feet.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 17 May 2026
  • Men love it for its spicy and woody scent that lingers for hours.
    — Grooming Playbook, The Salt Lake Tribune, 25 May 2022
  • Avoid cutting the woody stems of the plant.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 9 June 2026
  • Avoid cutting the woody stems of the plant.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 2 Mar. 2026
  • Koether notes there is one big flush of blooms on the woody canes from last year, first.
    — Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 29 June 2026
  • Those bigger, woody plants grow the deep roots that hold the slope in place.
    — Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Nov. 2023
  • Other species have woody stems and grow to about three or four feet tall and wide.
    — Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 7 July 2022
  • Avoid the woody stems, which don't have the same flavor as the younger leaves.
    — Heather Bien, The Spruce, 15 June 2026
  • Cutting it back in spring reduces any woody growth.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 May 2026
  • Cut back stems as needed to reduce woody growth.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 19 Aug. 2025
  • This woody vine is in the sumac family and packs a painful punch.
    — Steve Bender, Southern Living, 21 June 2026
  • The plant's stem may not look that thick, but woody plants can have a deep taproot.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 8 Mar. 2026
  • Some are fresh, some are deep and woody, and all of them negate the need to reapply.
    — Garrett Munce, Men's Health, 28 Feb. 2023
  • Prune and shear in spring before the new growth becomes woody.
    — Daniel Scott, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Jan. 2026
  • At the base, there are warmer woody notes of cedarwood and amber.
    — Grooming Playbook, The Salt Lake Tribune, 7 Nov. 2022
  • Men who wear the crisp, fresh scent love its woody, citrus aroma.
    — Dallas News, 30 Nov. 2022
  • Trim plants to keep them neat and to prevent them from getting too woody.
    — Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 30 June 2023
  • The earthy-woody scent is dense and dark and has a burn time of up to 60 hours.
    — Sarah Wolf Halverson, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Apr. 2023
  • Expect a lot of floral, fruity, and woody notes across the board.
    — Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 11 Feb. 2026
  • Don't plant your roses right next to your boxwood hedge or any woody shrub.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 21 May 2026
  • The stem should be at least 6 to 8 inches and not brown and woody.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 27 May 2026
  • The nose does have a rich woody note to it, and even a bit of smoke upon the first whiff.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 16 Nov. 2022
  • Off with the woody green top, along with all the dry, fibrous outer leaves!
    — Joe Yonan, Washington Post, 14 Jan. 2024
  • The vine also begins to die back, and the stem turns dry, brown, and woody.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 12 Oct. 2025
  • In the spring, trim back to the new green growth, never into the woody part of the plant.
    — Arricca Elin Sansone, Country Living, 20 Mar. 2023
  • Is there a way to keep older plants from the woody appearance?
    — Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2026
  • Some of your creeping thyme may develop woody stems over time.
    — David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 11 Feb. 2026
  • Pruning helps maintain its size and keeps it from turning woody.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 8 June 2026

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