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
Furthermore, unlike other acoustic sonar or laser optics, its low-frequency electromagnetic signals remain completely unaffected by floating silt or underwater acoustic echoes. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 1 June 2026 Common contaminants these systems address include sediment (dirt, sand, rust, silt), chlorine and chloramines, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), pesticides and herbicides, heavy metals (lead, mercury, copper), bacteria and unpleasant taste or odors. — Ryan Brennan may 26, Miami Herald, 26 May 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
  • Smoke and soot sediment were ubiquitous, with soot often piling up on cars and windowsills.
    — Rebecca Florsheim, STAT, 17 July 2026
  • Salvage operations commenced immediately but accomplished little, and the wreck gradually disappeared into the sediment of the Solent.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 July 2026
Definition of sediment
Verb
  • 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
  • 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
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
  • Businesses that had never flooded before were suddenly underwater.
    — Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • At some point in the mid-1850s, the river Padma suddenly carved a new path through the village of his ancestors in modern-day Bangladesh, flooding their homes and scattering them across the Indian subcontinent.
    — Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 20 July 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
  • 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
  • Such a shift would likely gridlock Washington, effectively ending the prospects for further fiscal stimulus before the 2028 presidential election.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2026
Definition of gridlock
Noun
  • 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
  • Based on carbon dating and artifacts, detritus and animal remains found at the site, Carr and others concluded the circle had likely been the foundation for a wooden ceremonial building dating back around 2,000 years.
    — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026
Definition of detritus
Verb
  • Torrential rain from a Monday afternoon thunderstorm flooded Hermitage Road in West Little Rock, affecting businesses and swamping at least one car.
    — Casey Mann, Arkansas Online, 8 July 2026
  • Most targets were critics of China, and the tactics included creating fake social-media accounts and swamping platforms with pro-Beijing posts, spreading false information about dissidents, and forging documents.
    — Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 7 July 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 24 Jul. 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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