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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Some of the skeleton’s teeth were first found in the sediments of Lake Turkana by Arbollo Aike of the Koobi Fora Research Project in 2012.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
23 Jan. 2026
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These grains record how rocks and sediments moved across Britain over millions of years.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
22 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 space, a former artist’s studio turned residence, opens directly onto the street and is crowned by a transom window that floods the interior with natural light.—
Nicolas Milon,
Architectural Digest,
13 Jan. 2026
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Fans have since flooded the comment section of the December video, with many pointing out that, in retrospect, Sarah cooking for herself was a subtle hint at the pair's divorce.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
13 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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Waymo's vehicles contributed to gridlock during storms and widespread power outages in San Francisco last month.—
Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
22 Jan. 2026
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Long lines of vehicles gridlock Indiana 49 as far north as U.S. 12 as visitors from Northwest Indiana and nearby states journey to the park.—
Carole Carlson,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Nonetheless, many North Texans won’t have to run out to the store during the winter storm; grocers have been swamped with people this week who have cleared out the meat, eggs, bread and other storm staples.—
Star-Telegram staff,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 Jan. 2026
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Bigger waves can reach further inland, swamping more homes and businesses.—
Alex Harris,
Miami Herald,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Automotive detritus Does your car need to be cleaned out?—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Jan. 2026
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The detritus of a Bronze Age ship can tell us about the people on board and the routes taken by these intrepid travelers over 3,000 years ago.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Silt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/silt. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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