How to Use root in a Sentence

root

1 of 2 noun
Definition of rootnext
Synonyms for rootnext
  • Pull weeds up by the roots so that they don't grow back.
  • You can tell that she dyes her hair blonde because her dark roots are showing.
  • This way, your rope will have space to dry along with the roots.
    — Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Aug. 2023
  • The root buds around the edge of the stem should be visible.
    — Grace Haynes, Southern Living, 11 Mar. 2024
  • Your pit should start to sprout roots and a stem in about six weeks.
    — Kate McGregor, House Beautiful, 1 Aug. 2023
  • The crown is where grass shoots and roots meet and grows at the soil level.
    — Christopher Kuhagen, Journal Sentinel, 7 June 2023
  • Turns out their roots lay in the Kent State massacre of 1970.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 19 Jan. 2024
  • The roots are strong and spread just as quickly as the tree grows above ground.
    — Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 May 2023
  • Place the orchid in the pot and gently pack the potting mix around the roots.
    — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Mar. 2024
  • In the evening, the water may puddle and cause the roots to rot, Stewart added.
    — Madeline Holcombe, CNN, 4 Feb. 2024
  • The fourth house, which is at the bottom of the chart, is your roots, your home, your family.
    — Madison Feller, ELLE, 6 Sep. 2023
  • In 1898, the square was seeded with oaks, whose roots spread and surfaced, like keloid scars.
    — Paige Williams, The New Yorker, 2 Oct. 2023
  • With the root end still attached, cut it into 1/2-inch pieces.
    — Jessica Harlan, Southern Living, 26 Dec. 2023
  • Becker argued that the bank run was the central root cause of the bank’s failure.
    — Lucy Brewster, Fortune, 16 May 2023
  • This creamy, spreadable mask applies like a dream from root to ends.
    — Sarah Y. Wu, Peoplemag, 11 May 2023
  • Pull up the root system (if the root system is still intact, see steps for large plants).
    — Savanna Bous, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Sep. 2023
  • The small insects suck on plant roots and grow from about the size of an ant to almost the size of a full-grown cicada.
    — Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 26 Apr. 2024
  • This is a project that is so intrinsic to Rebel and her Australian roots.
    — Manori Ravindran, Variety, 24 May 2023
  • But Monken hasn’t drifted far from his roots, at least not Sunday.
    — Mike Preston, Baltimore Sun, 17 Sep. 2023
  • And plants can grow deep-reaching roots to get a drink from far underground.
    — Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Dec. 2023
  • Each side kept the other in the fight, while the root causes of the conflict remained unaddressed.
    — Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2024
  • Transplant carefully, holding the soil ball around the root system in the process.
    — Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Feb. 2024
  • Examine the roots to look for signs of disease or rotting.
    — oregonlive, 17 Sep. 2023
  • Her loose curls were pulled back into a half-updo that featured a fishtail braid at the roots.
    — Jessica Booth, Peoplemag, 15 Sep. 2023
  • Amma is a root word for 'mother' in Cherokee and 'love' in Portuguese.
    — Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 25 Aug. 2023
  • The brand has become known on its campus but seeks to expand beyond its roots.
    — Cordell Jones, Essence, 21 Mar. 2024
  • Spray it directly on the roots or scalp to camouflage any area.
    — Deanna Pai, Women's Health, 19 July 2023
  • In the wake of a tragedy, the Maui Invitational is returning to its roots.
    — Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2023
  • Today, the 11-room, 22-guest all-inclusive is getting back to those roots.
    — Linda Laban, Robb Report, 4 Apr. 2024
  • For smaller areas like yards, pulling weeds up by the roots can prevent them from reproducing.
    — Natalie Wallington, Kansas City Star, 9 May 2024
Advertisement

root

2 of 2 verb
  • Come to think of it, that might be a reason to root against Xavier.
    — Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 21 Mar. 2023
  • Slice the fruit down the middle, stem to root, to create two halves.
    — Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Oct. 2023
  • Celtics have a die-hard fan base that’s going to root hard for the Celtics.
    — David Marchese David Marchesephotograph By Mamadi Doumbouya, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2023
  • And so, the Pacers are rooting against the Rockets down the stretch of the season.
    — Tony East, Forbes, 31 Mar. 2023
  • Galloway, rooted at the bottom of the stairs, took a shot.
    — Anumita Kaur, Washington Post, 12 Apr. 2023
  • This gives the plant enough time to settle into the ground and start rooting ahead of the first frost.
    — Kate McGregor, House Beautiful, 2 Aug. 2023
  • The hogs continue to root around in the yard as dogs bark in the background along the quiet cul-de-sac.
    — Shepard Price, San Antonio Express-News, 17 Feb. 2023
  • Most of us can only dream of rooting on our favorite team from the stands.
    — Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2024
  • In some spots, the rocks are piled high enough to peek out of the water, and mangroves and other coastal plants will root there.
    — Alex Harris, Orlando Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2022
  • Keep the faith and root down into the depth of your very being in order to get yourself there.
    — Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Dec. 2023
  • Nothing survives those blasts, not even the trees that were rooted there for decades.
    — Tyler Hicks Marc Santora, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2023
  • New sod has a harder time rooting down through the debris and may have a spongy feeling for a while.
    — Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2023
  • In fact, the importance of these flags is rooted less in the final product and more in the creation process.
    — Aryelle Siclait, Women's Health, 7 June 2023
  • That was always part of the job: to root around for authenticity in the morass of a disease.
    — Katie Engelhart, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2024
  • And Armond will be there in Las Vegas to support and root his brother on.
    — Marcus D. Smith, Sacramento Bee, 9 Feb. 2024
  • Not a lot of thought went into canopy and root stock and irrigation.
    — Adam Morganstern, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023
  • And if Musk’s team rooting around under Sin City can’t advance this strange year of the tunnel, what will?
    — Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 4 Feb. 2024
  • Spread right foot as wide as possible and root into the floor, then shift weight into right leg and lift left foot off the ground.
    — Megan Falk, Women's Health, 21 Apr. 2023
  • The pre-teen can be seen in full riding gear, practicing jumps on her horse as her dad rooted her on.
    — Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 9 Oct. 2023
  • While there wasn't a reason to root against the 6-10 teams listed above, the Panthers are a different story.
    — Josh Criswell, Chron, 5 Jan. 2023
  • More so to leave people rooting, as many will, for the vindication of the accused.
    — Jesse Green, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024
  • At this point, Sparks plucks each of the rooted slips off the sweet potato and plants them about a foot apart from one another in dirt that’s at least a foot deep.
    — Alex Groves, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024
  • Quite a while ago, our team started to root ourselves in the conversation-print genre.
    — Stephanie Sporn, Vogue, 28 Nov. 2023
  • A lot of people are rooting against Patrick Mahomes because he’s been there.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 8 Feb. 2024
  • Cameroon roots Ouandji Nana was raised in Yaoundé, Cameroon’s capital.
    — Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 12 Jan. 2024
  • The delay could be rooted, at least in part, in the leadership changes on both campuses.
    — Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 15 Mar. 2024
  • Today, though high up in her treehouse, both feet are rooted firmly in place.
    — Oliver Cano, ELLE Decor, 23 June 2023
  • The two of them are excited to have a personal rooting interest in the team.
    — Josh Reed, Anchorage Daily News, 10 Sep. 2023
  • All the while, the fan has a rooting interest and a financial interest in the player.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
  • That poem is about longing for something deeper rooted to give me that sense of belonging.
    — Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2024

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

Last Updated: