Synonyms of sediment

sediment 1 of 2

verb

ˈse-də-ˌment 

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

• settle
• filter
• lay
• clear
• sift
• strain
• sieve
• screen
• clarify
• resettle

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• raise
• mix
• stir
• disturb
• agitate

sediment

2 of 2

noun

ˈse-də-mənt 

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

• silt
• deposition
• deposit
• precipitate
• sludge
• dregs
• grounds
• settlings
• lees
• slag
• ooze
• dross
• waste

Example Sentences

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

Any far-future geologist sifting through sediment cores will detect a thin dusting of radioactive fallout as a precise time stamp of a world forever changed—an inexpungible technofossil boundary signaling humanity’s broader dominance. — Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026

At the road he was met by brown, sediment-laden floodwaters carrying vehicles and a dumpster. — Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026