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
Relevance
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
Marlowe Starling, Quanta Magazine, 1 May 2026
Helping urban farmers feed hungry New Yorkers City compost is mixed on-site with sandy sediment to create a nutrient-rich blend suitable for growing.
—CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
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
Small, phallic-looking worms rummaged through ocean-floor sediments while blind swimming beasts flung out whiplike tentacles to ensnare prey.
—Marlowe Starling, Quanta Magazine, 1 May 2026
Helping urban farmers feed hungry New Yorkers City compost is mixed on-site with sandy sediment to create a nutrient-rich blend suitable for growing.
—CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sediment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sediment
Verb
-
The race there begins somberly in the museum before runners bound up one flight of stairs into a hallway that leads into the main stairwell; from there, the steps settle into continuous, shallow right turns providing a repetitive, hypnotic cadence.—
Michelle Sinclair Colman,
Curbed,
7 May 2026
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The administration has also settled three deals with developers of more nascent offshore projects, paying back lease fees to the tune of nearly $2 billion in taxpayer dollars for the projects to not be built.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Thanks to the cold water temperature, lack of natural light, and the layers of silt covering many of the artifacts, the ship and its contents were in remarkably good condition.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
8 May 2026
-
Spider plants want loamy soil, according to Howe, which means an equal mixture of sand, silt, and clay.—
Emily Hayes,
Martha Stewart,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Corridor noise can filter in through the door, while balcony dividers offer little acoustic protection when others are outside.—
David Nikel,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
-
Once inside, visitors were encouraged to urinate in two onsite toilets which filter and pump sanitized water back into a large aquarium tank where performers float for four hours at a time, breathing through a scuba mask.—
Fiona Sinclair Scott,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
Asked later about the possibility of the governor facing a deposition, Jeff LeMaster, a spokesman for Griffin's office, said the case was still in the early stages of planning for discovery.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
4 May 2026
-
Promptly showing emails, documents, deposition testimony, and social media posts that contradict Musk’s testimony, the lawyer pushed the billionaire to make concessions before the jury on many topics Musk tried to deflect.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Celebrated as one of the most significant mineral finds of the modern era, the rare mineral deposit has been exhibited at several noteworthy events and institutions, including the Houston Museum of Natural Science and the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.—
Robb Report Studio,
Robb Report,
8 May 2026
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That combination gives the project a broader profile than deposits built around one dominant metal.—
Kaitlyn Gomez,
Miami Herald,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
One such innovative solution is to utilize the natural ability of microbes to precipitate minerals.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Hi-hats and snares appear in fragmentary bursts, icy synths precipitate and evaporate, and Zel slithers wryly in the cut.—
Olivier Lafontant,
Pitchfork,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sediment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sediment. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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