DISTIL Synonyms: 60 Similar and Opposite Words

distill

verb

di-ˈstil

variants also distil

Definition of distill

as in to drip

to fall or let fall in or as if in drops the basement walls distill water every time it rains heavily

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to filter

to remove usually visible impurities from distill the water before pouring it in the steam iron

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 distill But American whiskey has been showing its value as well in recent years, as elusive Van Winkle bourbons and vintage whiskey distilled at the famed Stitzel-Weller Distillery have achieved sales figures never seen before. — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 15 July 2026 First distilled in 1984, the spirit was pulled from casks in 2014 and has been resting in stainless steel tanks. — David Thomas Tao, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026 To catch up, Anthropic and others say Chinese labs are distilling their models—a violation of their terms. — Harry Booth, Time, 7 July 2026 The primary reason for Golden State’s allure to the former Laker could be distilled into two names. — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 3 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for distill

Recent Examples of Synonyms for distill

Verb

This forces any excess oil to drip onto the pieces of cardboard where the track touches the concrete.

— Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 11 July 2026
The result is an urgent, propulsive song with a raw spirit and some of Pop’s most super-charged writing with deceptively simple lyrics about love and war, dripping with desperation.

— Debby Wolfinsohn, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026

Definition of drip

Verb

First came the 1970s-style Instagram filters, then the revival of Polaroid-style photos, now this.

— Alina Selyukh, NPR, 18 July 2026
For people who work outside, health officials have recommended wearing an N95 mask, which can filter at least 95% of airborne particles.

— Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of filter

Verb

But this isn’t because of potential health risks or adverse effects in-flight—cabin crew simply dislike pouring it because of its excessive fizziness.

— Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 17 July 2026
The loss to the Oilers was the Hawks’ fifth straight, and pouring salt on the wound was the fact Dickinson and Murphy assisted on the last goal against their former team.

— Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026

Definition of pour

Verb

Mars drives your 10th House of Career forward, while Saturn in your 8th House of Shared Resources clarifies obligations, approvals, and support.

— Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 July 2026
The bill also clarifies that only those powered by liquid fuel, such as gasoline, require a muffler.

— Madison Smalstig July 18, Sacbee.com, 18 July 2026

Definition of clarify

Verb

Researchers in China have developed a flowing zinc slurry battery that operated continuously for 5,128 hours, offering a new approach to long-duration energy storage for renewable power systems.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 July 2026
Just take Stella McCartney’s spring 2004 collection, which featured a flowing, organic dress practically made for a water nymph.

— Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 17 July 2026

Definition of flow

Verb

Engineers used collaborative digital environments to evaluate the design, identify potential issues, and refine components before manufacturing test hardware.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 21 July 2026
This, in turn, can help refine our bigger-picture understanding of how stars and galaxies formed.

— Damien Pine, Scientific American, 21 July 2026

Definition of refine

Verb

The artisan copper stills used to extract essential oils and hydrosols are handcrafted by Copper Pro in Ukraine, incorporating a unique heating element that can be plugged in rather than using an open flame.

— Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 July 2026
During processing, the juices are extracted from the fruit, and the remaining flesh and fiber are discarded.

— Lauren Jarvis-Gibson July 21, Charlotte Observer, 21 July 2026

Definition of extract

Verb

Normal strategy in disaster situations is boiling water to purify it but this uses valuable fuel resources.

— Simon Heptinstall, New Atlas, 9 July 2026
Next, the raw material is handed over to Talga Group, a specialist firm that purifies the recycled feedstock into pristine, battery-grade graphite.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 7 July 2026

Definition of purify

Browse Nearby Words

distensions

distill

distilled

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Distill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distill. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of distill

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on distill

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

maverick

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes