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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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

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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
These timeframes were determined by dating the sediment layers in which the fossils were encased. Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 7 July 2026 Its origins are unknown but scientific analysis of sediments published in 2021 revealed the giant was probably first cut in the late Saxon period, between 700 and 1100 AD. Irenie Forshaw, TheWeek, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for sediment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sediment
Verb
  • Gendron said his ancestors were among the first outsiders to settle the island in the 1700s, when three brothers, fur traders all, left Canada and followed the Mississippi south.
    Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
  • The space is cozy and laid back, with an atmosphere that encourages guests to settle in for a drink or two.
    Blair Crosby, AJC.com, 5 July 2026
Noun
  • The valley floor is silt and loess left by the ice-age Missoula Floods, the glacial-lake megafloods that repeatedly drowned the region.
    Paul Caputo, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • The Hansen Dam Aquatic Center pool was constructed in 1999 in a $15-million project to replace a previous pool in the area that was filled with silt.
    Dante Estrada, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
Verb
  • This light-filtering curtain can instantly update any living room or bedroom with its vintage toile pattern that strikes the perfect balance between modern and grandmother-approved decor.
    Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 11 July 2026
  • Some hurricane windows can filter out up to 90% of ultraviolet rays, which protects your furniture, carpet, drapes and artwork from fading.
    Alora Bopray, USA Today, 10 July 2026
Noun
  • The center dome is manufactured using a chemical vapor deposition process, where diamond is grown as a crystalline layer before the substrate is removed, leaving a self-supporting diamond dome.
    Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • Judge Wang found in January that Monaco was not adequately prepared for his first deposition and ordered him to sit for another in April.
    Molly Crane Newman, Mercury News, 9 July 2026
Noun
  • Morgan Stanley downgrades Truist and Prosperity Bancshares to equal weight from overweight Morgan Stanley downgrades Prosperity and Truist citing deposit competition.
    Michael Bloom, CNBC, 6 July 2026
  • The federal government will provide a $1,000 seed deposit for eligible children born between 2025 and 2028 to help encourage long-term savings and investing.
    Kiara Moore, The Washington Examiner, 6 July 2026
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

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Cite this Entry

“Sediment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sediment. Accessed 14 Jul. 2026.

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