silt 1 of 2

noun

Definition of siltnext
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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silt

2 of 2

verb

as in to fur

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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 silt
Noun
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 The ratio of sand, silt, and clay determines the soil's texture. — Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 8 June 2026
Verb
Historically, the region itself was created by the natural flooding and silting processes of the Mississippi River, which flows across the breadth of the state before spilling into the Gulf of America. — David Blackmon, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025 Its primary purpose is not to control people or accumulate power, except perhaps incrementally, in the form of a kind of silting up of canonical importance. — Literary Hub, 22 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for silt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for silt
  1. sediment
  2. fur
  3. alluvium
  4. flood
  5. loess
  6. gridlock
  7. detritus
  8. swamp
Noun
  • Fishing boats were stranded ashore, infrastructure was damaged and homes were surrounded by sediment left by receding waters.
    — Yacob Herin, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Initially, Republican officials in several rural Maryland jurisdictions, under the banner of the Clean Chesapeake Coalition, challenged the deal, as they had long been aggrieved by sediment overflow events from the at-capacity dam in Cecil County.
    — Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of sediment
Verb
  • Measure the area to figure out how many panels and furring strips are needed.
    — Tribune Content Agency, Baltimore Sun, 14 Apr. 2026
  • Use shims to keep the panels level and apply a construction adhesive such as Liquid Nails to fasten them to the furring strips.
    — Tribune Content Agency, Baltimore Sun, 14 Apr. 2026
Definition of fur
Noun
  • What used to be open water was heading towards alluvium, and oblivion.
    — Rob Crossan, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Mar. 2026
  • At some point, alluvium buried the entire tusk, possibly from major storm flooding.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 14 Aug. 2024
Definition of alluvium
Verb
  • Since the first attack July 18 in Elektrostal, just east of Moscow, and in the southwestern Tambov region, Wildberries depots burned one after another in massive fires that flooded social media.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Following the news of Panettiere’s death at age 36 on Sunday, fans have flooded TikTok to pay tribute to the actress and her many beloved roles throughout her career.
    — Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of flood
Noun
  • The base played a critical role in national defense, housing a command bunker, planted deep into the regional loess, that was designed to withstand a nuclear blast.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
  • The Rhône's predominantly granite soils versus Walla Walla's basalt bedrock, riverbed cobbles, and windblown loess.
    — Paul Caputo, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of loess
Verb
  • But the debate is more about whether the opposition coalition can split the vote, strip Hichilema’s UPND of its working legislative majority, and threaten to gridlock reforms.
    — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 29 July 2026
  • Campaign financing, taking money from special interests, leads not only to gridlock but also to an inability for political parties to act in good faith on their constituents’ behalf.
    — Linh Tat, Oc Register, 5 May 2026
Definition of gridlock
Noun
  • The dirty sea near the city often carried this kind of detritus to the shore.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
  • In the next round of Count the Rice, the rice is mixed into a large box full of paper, styrofoam, and other detritus.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 July 2026
Definition of detritus
Verb
  • Expanding Medicare to all 342 million Americans would swamp demand for medical services.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
  • According to court documents, Manuel Hernandez, the tour boat captain, made a U-turn and a swell swamped the bow, capsizing the boat with 14 people on board.
    — Adi Guajardo, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of swamp

Browse Nearby Words

silly
silt
silted
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Cite this Entry

“Silt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/silt. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on silt

Nglish: Translation of silt for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about silt

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