How to use straw in a sentence

40 example sentences · noun, adjective, verb

Straw means a dried stalk of a cereal plant. Example: “A straw enemy built up in the media to seem like a real threat, which then collapses like a balloon.”

Examples of straw by meaning

nounAnything proverbially worthless; the least possible thing.

to not care a straw

nounA straw owner.

The Bromfield Street offices were housed in a dilapidated but heavily-insured building, owned by a straw for a wealthy downtown real estate developer, surrounded by expensive new commercial developments, and in a city renowned for arson-for-profit.1984 August 4, Larry Goldsmith, “Cops Charged With Setting GCN Fire”, in Gay Community News, page 1

adjectiveImaginary, but presented as real.

A straw enemy built up in the media to seem like a real threat, which then collapses like a balloon.

verbTo sell straws on the streets in order to cover the giving to the purchaser of things usually banned, such as...

Townspeople who saw 'strawing' and 'following the wran' as invasions by 'lusty young men of the country' saw Volunteer events in the same way.1998, Peter Hart, The I.R.A. and Its Enemies: Violence and Community in Cork, 1916-1923, →ISBN, page 182

More sentences with straw

When she called him a drunk, it was the last straw. He just kicked off.From the entry kick off
They drew straws to see who had to wash the dishes.From the entry draw straws
I drew the short straw and got stuck doing the whole project alone.From the entry draw the short straw
I've never met his mother, so I'm grasping at straws for an appropriate gift for her.From the entry grasp at straws
He pushed his straw hat back, scratched his head, and laughed ruefully.From the entry ruefully
That's the last straw; it's a petty demand but I’m already under too much work. I quit!From the entry last straw
When push came to shove he gave in almost immediately, showing that he was a man of straw after all.From the entry man of straw
The oat stalks made good straw.From the entry oat
A husband, wife, boyfriend or girlfriend who buys a handgun on behalf of their significant other is carrying out a straw purchase.From the entry straw purchase
These dolls were traditionally made of fabric stuffed with straw, and they often had carved wooden ears and polished coals for eyes.From the entry wooden ear
It is a straw in the wind—one of many flying about England at the moment.2026 February 1, “Why lots of English towns are creating puny local governments: Mad for parish councils”, in The Economist. From the entry parish council
Cat. lluquet 'bundle of dry and sulfated twigs or straw that easily catches fire'2025, Cid Swanenvleugel, The Pre-Roman Elements of the Sardinian Lexicon, page 51. From the entry sulfated
It gives me a similar uncanny feeling to drinking water out of the straw.2024 January 25, Heather Schwedel, “I Spent a Week Parading My Coveted Stanley Cup Around New York City”, in Slate, New York, N.Y.: The…. From the entry Pavlovianly
“This is the final straw AI,” he wrote in an Instagram story.2023 April 18, Laura Snapes, quoting Drake, “AI song featuring fake Drake and Weeknd vocals pulled from streaming services”, in The…. From the entry final straw
My point does not concern the principle of charity or whether Hickman has straw manned postmodernism.2021, John T. Lysaker, Philosophy, Writing, and the Character of Thought, University of Chicago Press, page 39. From the entry straw man
Although the day was lightly overcast, Gulliver wore a torn large-brimmed straw hat.2015, Maureen Earl, Gulliver Quick: A Novel, →ISBN. From the entry straw hat
He's drinking a Texas Tea, running the black straw through the soup of ice cubes and liquor.2015, Attica Locke -, Pleasantville, →ISBN. From the entry Texas tea
Starters (all $2.95) include fried okra, corn nuggets, and Texas toothpicks (onion and jalapeño straws).2011, Sylvie Hogg Murphy, Food Lovers' Guide to® Kansas City, →ISBN. From the entry Texas toothpicks
This if nothing else should be the final straw of evidence against LANCE.2011 February 28, Fredmaster of Brainerd, “God damn it's great to have two testicles !”, in rec.bicycles.racing (Usenet). From the entry uniballer
In Dianjiang county, Sichuan, a team of eleven people went around torching hundreds of straw huts.2011, Frank Dikötter, Mao's Great Famine, Bloomsbury, →ISBN, →OCLC, →OL, page 53. From the entry Dianjiang
He was selling a litter of 12 bonhams half-covered with straw.2010 February 10, Con Houlihan, “Gambling pride on price of the piglets”, in The Herald, Dublin. From the entry bonhams
A flirty woman in a straw hat slid through the crowd straight to Snyder.2009 January 5, John Branch, “Bull Riders Wait All Day for a Few Seconds of Fury”, in New York Times. From the entry flirty
Long drinks generally have more mixer than alcohol and are often served with ice and a straw.2008, Hamlyn, Hamlyn All Colour Cookery: 200 Cocktails: Hamlyn All Colour Cookbook, Hachette UK. From the entry long drink
Zori are similar to flip-flops and used to be made from straw.2008, Roy Inman, The Judo Handbook, page 14. From the entry zori
After picking, they're left to "raisinate" (dry and shrivel) on straw mats.2005, Kevin Zraly, Windows On The World Complete Wine Course. From the entry raisinate
I'm wearing baggy jeans, an oversize sweatshirt and a straw hat sprouting a straw daisy.2002 May 19, Paula Ganzi Licata, “An Accidental Gardener Dresses the Part”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times…. From the entry über
Afterward she sat in the drugstore sucking malt through a straw.1992, Toni Morrison, Jazz, Vintage (2016), page 89. From the entry malt
We drew straws, and today's my day to go to school.1990 January 23, Bill Watterson, Calvin & Hobbes (comic). From the entry draw straws
Tomas' hands worked open and closed in a twitchlike grab at the straw, writhing slightly.1976, Leon Uris, Trinity, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday & Company, Inc., →ISBN, page 50. From the entry twitchlike
But someday before I cash in, I hope to make it in the straw.1974, Charles Bukowski, “Purple as an Iris”, in Erections, ejaculations, exhibitions and general tales of ordinary madness, page 414. From the entry cash in
Old straw plantation “slouchers” were a pride and joy of the Southern Confederacy.1967, Daniel Allan Kinsley, Favor the Bold: Custer: the Civil War Years, volume 1, page 130. From the entry sloucher
A wide-mesh veil came down from the rim of a small black straw hat.1954, Ian Fleming, “The Silver Phantom”, in Live and Let Die, London: Pan Books, published 1957, page 96. From the entry tailor-made
A stretch of straw mats is laid on the ground leading from the door of the hounfor.1953, Maya Deren, Divine Horsemen, McPherson & Company, published 2004, page 47. From the entry hounfour
Wisps of straw stuck in the workdog’s coat, mud was on her feet, she reeked of cow.1944, Emily Carr, “The Cousins’ Bobtails”, in The House of All Sorts. From the entry work dog
She carried her best straw hat and louis-heeled shoes rolled up in an old rag hat.1938, Xavier Herbert, chapter XIII, in Capricornia, New York: D. Appleton-Century, published 1943, page 213. From the entry Louis-heeled
Deadgrass takes in any shade of deadgrass, varying from a tan to a dull straw color.1935, G. H. Watt, Sporting Dogs: The Breeds and Standards as Recognized by the American Kennel Club, American Kennel Club. From the entry deadgrass

Meaning of straw

noun A dried stalk of a cereal plant.
noun Such dried stalks considered collectively; this bulk matter may be a chief salable product, a by-product, fodder, bedding, or green manure, depending on region and on current market conditions.
noun A drinking straw.

Full definition of straw

Questions about straw in a sentence

How do you use straw in a sentence?: Straw is used as a noun, adjective and verb. For example: “A straw enemy built up in the media to seem like a real threat, which then collapses like a balloon.”
What is a short sentence with straw?: “to not care a straw”
What does straw mean?: Straw means a dried stalk of a cereal plant.

Adapted from Wiktionary: straw (page history and authors) and the entries each sentence comes from. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws chose the sentences, left out offensive ones and quotations older than 1900, and marked the word in each. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Cite this page: “How to use straw in a sentence.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/sentences/straw. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.