as in to settle
to cause to come to rest at the bottom (as of a liquid)
the water flowing into the reservoir is sedimenting silt faster than was originally expected
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in silt
matter that settles to the bottom of a body of liquid
the sediment at the bottom of the river needs to be routinely dredged so that it doesn't interfere with barge traffic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sediment
Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2024
The team observed the octopuses launch objects and sediment several body lengths away.
—Corryn Wetzel, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Sep. 2021
Sophia Tareen, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2026
What to read next High-energy geological event Morphological and geophysical surveys are important for the recognition of anomalous subsurface structural features, Koeberl said, which may be deeply eroded craters or impact structures entirely covered by post-impact sediments.
—Leonard David, Space.com, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sediment
Verb
The exploration data collected to-date indicates that previous historical open pit heap leaching operations did not advance their plans to develop attractive, wide, shallow gold-silver mineralization hosted in major structural zones in the Bisbee Group sediments west of the Contention Pit.
—Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2024
The team observed the octopuses launch objects and sediment several body lengths away.
—Corryn Wetzel, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Sep. 2021
Noun
Maui resident and real estate broker Jesse Wald, who recorded video of a coastal road’s collapse Saturday, said other parts of road were flooded out by mud and sediment.
—Sophia Tareen, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2026
What to read next High-energy geological event Morphological and geophysical surveys are important for the recognition of anomalous subsurface structural features, Koeberl said, which may be deeply eroded craters or impact structures entirely covered by post-impact sediments.
—Leonard David, Space.com, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sediment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sediment
Verb
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The town settled the lawsuit outside of court, agreeing to pay Morgan $45,000 and revise its social media policy, according to a document provided to The Denver Post by Morgan’s attorneys.—
Lauren Penington,
Denver Post,
26 Mar. 2026
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Clouds build overnight and temperatures will cool off quickly after sunset, settling in the low to mid-40s.—
Greg Porter,
San Francisco Chronicle,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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This ocean canyon heaves waves of shale and basalt, quartz and silt.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
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Of particular interest are polymetallic nodules – agglomerations, typically smaller than a potato, containing manganese and other metals and found in the silt of the deep ocean floor.—
Coalter G Lathrop,
The Conversation,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But there is something so wonderful about being fifty and having your own job and having been through so many disappointments that a situation like this is filtered through different experiences and people—the narrator’s discernment has an incredible clarity.—
Cressida Leyshon,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
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History, like modern social media, is not always kind to coaches don’t filter their thoughts.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
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She was pretty caught up with her deposition, anyway, leaving Becca to meet privately with Langdon.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
23 Mar. 2026
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What was intended to be a productive closed-door meeting with top Department of Justice leaders Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche turned into a standoff over whether Bondi would commit to appearing for an April 14 deposition subpoenaed by the House oversight committee.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Formations like Bender’s Cave are routinely filled with running streams that fluctuate in depth depending on recent rainfall, flooding, and sinkhole deposits.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
26 Mar. 2026
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The school changed its billing methods in 2020 to make parents use electronic bank deposits instead of credit cards.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Hi-hats and snares appear in fragmentary bursts, icy synths precipitate and evaporate, and Zel slithers wryly in the cut.—
Olivier Lafontant,
Pitchfork,
25 Feb. 2026
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The polyester precipitates from the solvent upon cooling, and can likewise be reused.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
26 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sediment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sediment. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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