sediment 1 of 2

as in to settle
to cause to come to rest at the bottom (as of a liquid) the water flowing into the reservoir is sedimenting silt faster than was originally expected

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sediment

2 of 2

noun

as in silt
matter that settles to the bottom of a body of liquid the sediment at the bottom of the river needs to be routinely dredged so that it doesn't interfere with barge traffic

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sediment
Verb
The exploration data collected to-date indicates that previous historical open pit heap leaching operations did not advance their plans to develop attractive, wide, shallow gold-silver mineralization hosted in major structural zones in the Bisbee Group sediments west of the Contention Pit. Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2024 The team observed the octopuses launch objects and sediment several body lengths away. Corryn Wetzel, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Sep. 2021
Noun
For about 5,000 years, huge amounts of carbon entered the atmosphere, likely from a combination of volcanic activity and methane release from ocean sediments. Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 29 Aug. 2025 Prevent unwanted weeds from establishing in sidewalk and driveway cracks by hosing out or scraping away dirt and sediment from the cracks. Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 28 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sediment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sediment
Verb
  • Science is never settled For decades, it was assumed that AHE was always spin-driven and only occurred in magnetic materials.
    Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Keough said her grandmother tried to settle Lisa Marie's estate less than 24 hours after her death in 2023.
    Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Howell said a silt protection barrier on the street near the construction site became clogged, leading to an overflow of water.
    Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Sep. 2025
  • The flood left a silt dirt behind, which can be home to these tiny flies that lay their eggs in organic matter typically found in sewer or piping systems.
    Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The water was then filtered and analysed using advanced laboratory techniques, with strict controls in place to prevent contamination.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Other samples were frozen, filtered or left as is, depending on the purpose.
    Rodrique Ngowi, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The deposition was part of a lawsuit filed by Lisa Jackson, a former manager of one of Paula’s restaurants, Uncle Bubba’s Seafood and Oyster House.
    Erin Clements, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
  • In 2013, the celebrity chef confessed to having used the slur in a legal deposition.
    DeMicia Inman, VIBE.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Ahead of the decision, markets had been pricing in an around 99% chance of the ECB's key deposit facility rate being left at 2% for the second consecutive time.
    Sophie Kiderlin, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2025
  • The bank’s total assets sit at $404 million, with $361 million in deposits.
    Matthew Geiger, Denver Post, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The new high-pressure acid leaching smelter will produce 66,000 tons of nickel in mixed hydroxide precipitate each year when completed, using nickel ore from Vale Indonesia’s mines.
    Yessar Rosendar, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
  • While the faithful typically congregate in St. Peter's Square daily during the conclave, the public signal that a pontiff has been chosen precipitates a surge of observers rushing to be among the first to see the new pope in person.
    Christopher Watson, ABC News, 8 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sediment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sediment. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on sediment

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!