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
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
To be fair, at Kohl’s, Gass was forced into four battles with activist shareholders in her final years, siphoning her attention and energy.
—Phil Wahba, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2026
The only concern could be Hamilton syphoning support away from the league’s Toronto franchise.
—Hailey Salvian, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
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
To be fair, at Kohl’s, Gass was forced into four battles with activist shareholders in her final years, siphoning her attention and energy.
—Phil Wahba, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2026
The only concern could be Hamilton syphoning support away from the league’s Toronto franchise.
—Hailey Salvian, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for siphoning
Verb
-
Shane Lowry has the distinction of draining one of the more memorable putts in recent golf history.—
Kels Dayton,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Grow crocosmia in moist, organically rich, well-draining soil in full sun to light shade.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Gandi Mohamed later pled guilty to money laundering for funneling fraud proceeds.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
24 Apr. 2026
-
To reduce reliance on maritime routes, China has over recent decades built costly pipelines funnelling oil and gas over land from Central Asia, Russia and Myanmar.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The painting, which shows Trump famously pumping his fist after surviving gunfire at a campaign rally, was installed in the White House State Floor in April 2025.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Ragans was pumping high velocity.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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On the website dedicated to its shutdown, the airline said passengers who were expecting to travel should not go to the airport, directing them to a page for refund status and next steps.—
Yuliya Talmazan,
NBC news,
2 May 2026
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The director got his feature start with action comedies, famously directing the Charlie’s Angels movies in the early 2000s.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Chatting with the peddler Rutherford Selig (Bradley Stryker, enjoyably channeling Deadwood), Bynum casually unzips the surface of reality and dips into the waters below.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
26 Apr. 2026
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Mickey Moniak is channeling his inner Ted Williams, via his grandfather and his father.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Jones was arrested on charges of possession of an assault weapon, possession of a large capacity magazine, carrying a pistol without a permit and interfering with an officer.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
1 May 2026
-
The Spaniard left hurriedly, carrying a frown that owed to a sense of injustice.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Scientists are conducting studies to learn more about the potential risk to people who hunt or eat deer or elk meat, for example, by determining if they are diagnosed with prion diseases more often than people who do not.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
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Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar quickly responded on X, slamming his Ukrainian counterpart for conducting diplomacy on social media.—
Yuliya Talmazan,
NBC news,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The silken charcoal bathrobes are a decadent touch, as are the welcome torrents of piping water that rain from monsoon showers and the wonderful organic soaps.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Allow mixture to soften to piping consistency.—
Cathy Thomas,
Oc Register,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Siphoning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/siphoning. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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