1
as in straining
to pass through a filter
steep the tea and then filter it to get rid of the leaves
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in clarifying
to remove usually visible impurities from
after frying the chicken, we filtered the oil and kept it in the refrigerator to use again
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 filtering
Huge columns made of light pink and dove gray Tennessee marble shone in the evening light filtering in from the glass roof.
—
Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
Testing well water regularly and correctly filtering it in a home can cost hundreds of dollars a year.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
The researchers also built a filtering system to allow the headsets to focus only on the tiny vibrations in the skull caused by breathing and heartbeats, and remove any interference from extraneous head and body movement.
—Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
Italian piazzas are covered by retractable, UV-filtering canopies, deployed each morning like futuristic umbrellas against an invisible downpour.
—Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
With countless options to choose from, there’s a curtain or drape to suit every interior design look and light-filtering need.
—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 31 Mar. 2026
The first stage focuses on protecting the instrument from Venus’s highly corrosive environment by filtering out sulfuric acid droplets and fine particles.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 30 Mar. 2026
Light-Filtering Curtains If blackout curtains feel like too much and sheers feel like too little, light-filtering curtains offer a middle ground.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Mar. 2026
Surging oil prices are filtering into prices of all kinds of products that rely on the commodity for manufacturing.
—Eunice Yoon, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026
Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
Testing well water regularly and correctly filtering it in a home can cost hundreds of dollars a year.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
The researchers also built a filtering system to allow the headsets to focus only on the tiny vibrations in the skull caused by breathing and heartbeats, and remove any interference from extraneous head and body movement.
—Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
Italian piazzas are covered by retractable, UV-filtering canopies, deployed each morning like futuristic umbrellas against an invisible downpour.
—Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
With countless options to choose from, there’s a curtain or drape to suit every interior design look and light-filtering need.
—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 31 Mar. 2026
The first stage focuses on protecting the instrument from Venus’s highly corrosive environment by filtering out sulfuric acid droplets and fine particles.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 30 Mar. 2026
Light-Filtering Curtains If blackout curtains feel like too much and sheers feel like too little, light-filtering curtains offer a middle ground.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Mar. 2026
Surging oil prices are filtering into prices of all kinds of products that rely on the commodity for manufacturing.
—Eunice Yoon, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for filtering
Verb
-
Reaves missed 19 games after straining his left calf on Christmas.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Hundreds of people attended the Via Crucis in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood on Good Friday, straining their necks to catch a glimpse of the actor portraying Jesus in the final moments before his execution.—
Laura Turbay,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
After an overly mopey Season 1, letting our series lead actually take pleasure in a life that most people can only dream about is a smart shift, but Tropper also gives Coop two distinct, disparate, and clarifying obstacles.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Taryn Manning is clarifying an incident captured on video, and making accusations against the woman at the center of it all.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Awards and cash prizes worth $25,000, including five Academy Award-qualifying awards, will be announced on June 28, with the Best of the Fest program screening on the final day, June 29.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Security lines that stretched for hours at the Atlanta airport during some of the worst periods of the ongoing partial government shutdown are prompting a call for an alternative to screening by the Transportation Security Administration.—
Kelly Yamanouchi,
AJC.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That includes strengthening its internal culture, refining legal strategy, and maintaining clear standards around results and professional integrity.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Monasteries, often centers of agricultural and culinary innovation, played a key role in refining pickling methods.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Don’t forget your rugs, Ryan Knoll, owner of Tidy Casa, a home cleaning company that cleans over 600 homes a month.—
Alora Bopray,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Three quick-connect spray tips offer a range of cleaning from precision to wide-area, an extra-large 22-ounce foam cannon for deep suds and 25 feet of hose with an additional 35 feet of cord for total reach.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
And the largest tech companies in the world are extracting profit from it?—
Mark Olsen,
Twin Cities,
5 Apr. 2026
-
In fact, many collagen supplements are made by extracting collagen from the bones, skin, and feet of chickens.—
Lindsey DeSoto,
Health,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Increasingly, judges are opting to sanction lawyers who submit briefs tainted by AI errors, Moylan said, sometimes fining those who refuse to admit wrongdoing or referring them to their state’s bar association for disciplinary actions.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The board ended up fining every mayor who joined the program, Ed Koch and David Dinkins and Rudy Giuliani and Bill de Blasio and Eric Adams.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
To maintain balayage color, it is recommended to avoid washing hair for three days post-application and use hair masks or natural hair oil to keep the color vibrant.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
4 Apr. 2026
-
In college, that morphed into her providing free detergent for those washing their clothes.—
Darcel Rockett,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Filtering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/filtering. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
