understory

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

By keeping fire out of the state’s wildlands altogether, California has grown thick with branches, brush and understory that are now acting as fuel for the state’s ever-larger blazes.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 10, 2025

"On these longer rotations, multiple entries for thinning were required to prevent buildup of understory vegetation that would have suppressed the growth of overstory Douglas-fir," Carlisle said.

From Science Daily • Nov. 21, 2023

Coffee is an understory plant: It grows best under a canopy of shade-providing trees.

From Salon • Oct. 23, 2023

The disease can spread quickly in younger trees, killing saplings and understory beech at a high rate.

From Washington Times • Oct. 20, 2023

I pull Alice across the clearing into the shelter of the forest understory.

From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George