variants
also syphoning
1
as in draining
to remove (liquid) gradually or completely
I let the stranded motorist siphon some of my gas so he could be on his way
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in funneling
to cause to move to a central point or along a restricted pathway
investigators discovered that the so-called charitable organization was siphoning funds for personal use
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of siphoning
And former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa questioned Becerra’s role in a corruption scandal involving a former aide who pleaded guilty to siphoning funds from Becerra’s dormant campaign account to pad his salary.
—
Ben Paviour
may 6, Sacbee.com, 6 May 2026
But many of Lamont’s fellow Democrats in the legislature’s majority have argued for the past two years that Connecticut saves too aggressively, siphoning dangerously large amounts from town aid and other core programs and effectively forcing one generation to solve a problem created by three.
—Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 1 May 2026
Authorities announced the arrest Wednesday of a Long Island PTA mom accused of siphoning more than $50,000 from an elementary school over a three-year span while she was employed as a New York Police Department officer.
—Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
In New York, staged auto accidents, medical mills, and a lax threshold for awarding payouts are siphoning money from drivers, municipalities, and the MTA alike.
—Ike Brannon, New York Daily News, 19 Apr. 2026
Stefan Pildes, 50, is facing federal wire fraud charges that accuse him of siphoning hundreds of thousands of dollars in charitable funds for his own use, including for concert tickets and vacations.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026
Shamefully, even as the Evanston parish was asking its members to dig deeper, Anderson was siphoning some of the church funds for his own personal needs.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, Orbán began siphoning public contracts, largely financed by the European Union, into companies owned by loyalists.
—Justin Spike, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
The concern about competing became amplified with regional sports networks dissolving, siphoning a source of revenue for a Rockies team that is already heavily dependent on attendance.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 10 Apr. 2026
Ben Paviour
may 6, Sacbee.com, 6 May 2026
But many of Lamont’s fellow Democrats in the legislature’s majority have argued for the past two years that Connecticut saves too aggressively, siphoning dangerously large amounts from town aid and other core programs and effectively forcing one generation to solve a problem created by three.
—Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 1 May 2026
Authorities announced the arrest Wednesday of a Long Island PTA mom accused of siphoning more than $50,000 from an elementary school over a three-year span while she was employed as a New York Police Department officer.
—Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
In New York, staged auto accidents, medical mills, and a lax threshold for awarding payouts are siphoning money from drivers, municipalities, and the MTA alike.
—Ike Brannon, New York Daily News, 19 Apr. 2026
Stefan Pildes, 50, is facing federal wire fraud charges that accuse him of siphoning hundreds of thousands of dollars in charitable funds for his own use, including for concert tickets and vacations.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026
Shamefully, even as the Evanston parish was asking its members to dig deeper, Anderson was siphoning some of the church funds for his own personal needs.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, Orbán began siphoning public contracts, largely financed by the European Union, into companies owned by loyalists.
—Justin Spike, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
The concern about competing became amplified with regional sports networks dissolving, siphoning a source of revenue for a Rockies team that is already heavily dependent on attendance.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 10 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for siphoning
Verb
-
Plant the cutting in well-draining soil in a 12-inch tall pot that’s about 6 inches wide so the roots have plenty of room to grow.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
19 May 2026
-
More turbulent water draining from the desert via seasonal drainage channels called wadis might have brought others.—
Geoff Emberling,
The Conversation,
19 May 2026
Verb
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Mergers might encourage other states to offer similar programs as a way of funnelling more students into struggling four-year campuses.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
19 May 2026
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This latest transaction shows a motivation to acquire struggling western fashion IP and absorbing it into its highly efficient supply chain model, while also funneling traffic towards its own ecosystem.—
Clara Ludmir,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Shaggy was holding a squishy ball between his knees and pumping his arms up and down, making his whole body quiver.—
Natalie Meade,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
Those are the longest plaudits of the festival, though Refn and cast were doing some cheerleading and pumping the crowd up after the lights went up, which likely prolonged the celebration.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
The council voted to continue the item to a June meeting, directing staff to return with conditions addressing those concerns baked into any loan agreement.—
Walker Armstrong,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 May 2026
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This technique expedites growth, produces larger fruit, and leads to earlier harvests by directing the plant's energy to the main vine and developing cucumbers rather than unnecessary foliage.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
23 May 2026
Verb
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Pair this with leather sandals and just the right bangle for channeling Italian style.—
Nneya Richards,
Travel + Leisure,
11 May 2026
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Sarah Pidgeon, the actress who portrayed Bessette Kennedy in the show, has also been channeling the icon’s style.—
Izzy Baskette,
PEOPLE,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Thailand’s core offering to international producers is a 30% cash rebate that Kangvalkulkij describes as carrying no spending cap and no cultural test – meaning productions are not required to incorporate Thai content.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
22 May 2026
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The Boeing 787, which was carrying 231 passengers and 12 crew members, later continued to Chicago, the airline said.—
Christopher Edwards,
PEOPLE,
22 May 2026
Verb
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Saginaw police are conducting a separate administrative investigation to determine whether department policy was followed.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 May 2026
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Future development plans include expanding the system to coordinate multiple robots simultaneously and conducting more flight experiments in difficult and unpredictable environments while refining the platform through community feedback.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
19 May 2026
Verb
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But by using this dramatic white ribbon and just piping a few scrolls on top, your cake automatically just looks very fancy.—
Emily Elias,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
14 May 2026
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Unlike a pump that's designed specifically to supply diesel to a generator, the NTSB said the flushing pump, which was designed to clear fuel out of piping for maintenance, didn't have redundancies and couldn't restart automatically after an outage.—
Sarah N. Lynch,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Siphoning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/siphoning. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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