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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Recent Examples of sediment
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
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
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
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At the plaza, Seth Teasdale was nearby as Kirk flung some caps into the crowd, then settled into his seat under the canopy to take questions.—
Rick Jervis,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
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The Cortège gestures toward that transcendence, but too often settles for the kind of veiled enchantment that follows us home through our screens.—
David Hochman,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
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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
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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
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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
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Other samples were frozen, filtered or left as is, depending on the purpose.—
Rodrique Ngowi,
Fortune,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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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
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In 2013, the celebrity chef confessed to having used the slur in a legal deposition.—
DeMicia Inman,
VIBE.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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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
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The bank’s total assets sit at $404 million, with $361 million in deposits.—
Matthew Geiger,
Denver Post,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Sediment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sediment. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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