sediment 1 of 2

verb

ˈse-də-ˌment How to pronounce sediment (audio)
Definition of sedimentnext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sediment

2 of 2

noun

ˈse-də-mənt How to pronounce sediment (audio)
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
It’s really sedimented and entangled. — Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 10 June 2026 The team observed the octopuses launch objects and sediment several body lengths away. — Corryn Wetzel, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Sep. 2021
Noun
Large volumes of sediment and construction waste could reshape shorelines and damage coastal habitats. — ABC News, 29 July 2026 Geological compressions or even high temperature swings can squeeze moisture out of the sediment, leaving behind the distinctive arrangement. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for sediment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sediment
  1. settle
  2. silt
  3. filter
  4. deposition
  5. deposit
  6. precipitate
Verb
  • So the family left, arriving in the United States in 1987 and settling in Virginia.
    — Isabelle Chapman, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
  • There haven’t been many opportunities for catcher Miguel Amaya to settle in with regular at-bats this season.
    — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of settle
Noun
  • Operating continuously beneath complex sub-river geology of riverbed silt and sand, the shield machine operated without intermediate access shafts.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 30 July 2026
  • The water drew back from the house, left a thick, stinking silt across the floor.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026
Definition of silt
Verb
  • Kansas City artists, comedians, entrepreneurs and other figures from the city’s nightlife scene filtered through the business, including people who had shared stages, studios and social spaces with McGee.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The liver just might be one of your hardest-working organs, producing proteins and filtering the blood, metabolizing nutrients and creating necessary bile for digestion.
    — Alexandra Frost, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of filter
Noun
  • Scott did it 75 times in a deposition, refusing to answer questions in a lawsuit involving his former hospital company, Columbia-HCA.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Workers line each deposition hole with compressed bentonite clay blocks before inserting the copper containers.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of deposition
Noun
  • The program rewards families for activating the account, opening a savings account alongside it, and make deposits.
    — John Ketcham, New York Daily News, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The deposit is located in an area of the Great Basin Desert in eastern Nevada and could contain almost two million metric tons of tungsten.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of deposit
Noun
  • Acid can be used to leach elements like calcium out, then a chemical or energetic process precipitates that calcium as calcium hydroxide.
    — Scott K. Johnson, ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026
  • One such innovative solution is to utilize the natural ability of microbes to precipitate minerals.
    — Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2026
Definition of precipitate

Browse Nearby Words

sedentary
sediment
sedimented
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Cite this Entry

“Sediment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sediment. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on sediment

Nglish: Translation of sediment for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sediment

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