slush fund
noun
1
: a fund raised from the sale of refuse to obtain small luxuries or pleasures for a warship's crew
2
: a fund for bribing public officials or carrying on corruptive propaganda
3
: an unregulated fund often used for illicit purposes
Examples of slush fund in a Sentence
a secret slush fund for paying bribes
Recent Examples on the Web
Fight over 'slush fund' provision The push to reopen the government hit a major snag when House Republicans began criticizing members of their own party in the Senate over a provision in the shutdown-ending funding package.
—
Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 13 Nov. 2025
Another, more obvious, claim from Republicans was that the administration was using a kind of slush fund in the Treasury Department to pay subsidies to insurance companies that hadn’t been included in the original legislation passed by Democrats alone four years earlier.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 14 Oct. 2025
Since his tenure ended, the LDP has faced fallout over a slush fund scandal, an inflation surge, and a rightward political shift across the country.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
Crucially, the slush fund scandal led the LDP to dismantle its factional system, long considered the root of undue influence of money on politics but which for decades had structured intraparty competition over funds and appointments.
—Mireya Solís, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slush fund
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.
Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 13 Nov. 2025
Another, more obvious, claim from Republicans was that the administration was using a kind of slush fund in the Treasury Department to pay subsidies to insurance companies that hadn’t been included in the original legislation passed by Democrats alone four years earlier.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 14 Oct. 2025
Since his tenure ended, the LDP has faced fallout over a slush fund scandal, an inflation surge, and a rightward political shift across the country.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
Crucially, the slush fund scandal led the LDP to dismantle its factional system, long considered the root of undue influence of money on politics but which for decades had structured intraparty competition over funds and appointments.
—Mireya Solís, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slush fund
Cite this Entry
“Slush fund.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slush%20fund. Accessed 14 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share