as in sediment
soil made chiefly of loose sedimentary material that is carried by flowing water and that sinks to the bottom of a river, pond, etc.
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as in to fur
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of silt
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 2 Nov. 2025
These silts were left behind when ancient river channels filled up or when floodwaters slowed down and gently dropped tiny particles.
—Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 18 Oct. 2025
Walker Mimms, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2023
Cathedral-like sandstone canyons were resurrected, and sunlight reached the silt-clogged floors for the first time in generations.
—Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica, 22 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for silt
Noun
Particles of silt and any rust from your plumbing join in.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 2 Nov. 2025
These silts were left behind when ancient river channels filled up or when floodwaters slowed down and gently dropped tiny particles.
—Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
All the while, the Guadalquivir River, which allowed ships into Seville, began to silt up, forcing trade southward to the coastal town of Cádiz.
—Walker Mimms, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2023
Cathedral-like sandstone canyons were resurrected, and sunlight reached the silt-clogged floors for the first time in generations.
—Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica, 22 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for silt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for silt
Noun
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By analyzing the bones and pyre sediments, researchers believe that hunter-gatherers cremated the body of a woman about 9,500 years ago, according to their study published Thursday in the journal Science Advances.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
6 Jan. 2026
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Here was a human elbow joint, burned and fractured, preserved in sediments full of debris from the daily lives of Stone Age hunter-gatherers.—
Elizabeth Sawchuk,
The Conversation,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Purple blossoms furred the redbuds along his driveway; here and there beneath them were sprays of yellow forsythia.—
Jamie Quatro,
Harper's Magazine,
2 Aug. 2024
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The foils can also retract, meaning that the boats aren't at risk of marine growth, which could otherwise fur them up.—
Julia Buckley,
CNN,
28 July 2022
Noun
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The tunnel will traverse multiple difficult subsoil layers: a surface of historical and active landfill materials, including spoil from London tunneling projects and decades-old power station fly ash, a thick layer of alluvium composed of silts, clays, and peat, and, finally, highly variable chalk.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 July 2025
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At some point, alluvium buried the entire tusk, possibly from major storm flooding.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
14 Aug. 2024
Verb
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The post was flooded with support from both fans and celebrities.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
6 Jan. 2026
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Beijing will keep trying to export its way out, flooding global markets—an approach that most trading partners may absorb this year but won’t tolerate forever.—
Ian Bremmer,
Time,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Many fatalities were linked to the collapse of yaodongs—homes carved into loess hillsides.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
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When blown by the wind, these sediments are referred to as loess.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes,
2 Sep. 2021
Verb
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Waiting until the last minute can lead to gridlock on the road for you and obstruct first responders trying to get to the active fire zone.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2025
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While the state Assembly derailed that initial plan, forfeiting the grant, the push for a practical remedy to gridlock never died.—
DJ Gribbin,
New York Daily News,
7 Feb. 2025
Verb
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With modern development along the creek’s 35-mile watershed that starts in the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains and drains to Aliso Beach, the area has become swamped by urban runoff.—
Erika I. Ritchie,
Oc Register,
8 Jan. 2026
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At the Des Moines Public Library, Marketing Manager Aaron Gernes said they've been similarly swamped.—
Lucia Cheng,
Des Moines Register,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Urbano recovered fragments of the original arena and presented them under a ceiling, lit from above and covered with dead leaves and other plant detritus.—
Javier Montes,
Artforum,
1 Jan. 2026
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It was designed to be incorporated into a three-dimensional exhibit where the canvas would blend into a foreground of clay, grass shrubbery, and the detritus of battle – all of it creating a you-were-there sense of reality.—
Richard Selcer,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Silt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/silt. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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