Definition of sedimentnext
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

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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

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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 sediment
Verb
It’s really sedimented and entangled. — Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 10 June 2026 The team observed the octopuses launch objects and sediment several body lengths away. — Corryn Wetzel, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Sep. 2021
Noun
It was subsequently covered up by sediment, kind of like a shipwreck on the beach. — ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026 With the false color, the vegetation surrounding the salt pan appears in shades of red, while the salt pan itself looks like a mix of bright, light and dark blues with cloudy sediment floating around. — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 12 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sediment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sediment
Verb
  • He was educated at Middlebury College, and lived in New York City for 15 years, before settling back on the farm with his wife, Olga, and their children, Fiona and Abraham.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Remember, parents with kids this age are also the ones that are still living with their mom and dad, have to have coloring books and fidget toys at work to settle their nerves and focus and flat out refuse to grow up.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • At a final construction update held near the crossing Thursday, Robert Rock, lead landscape architect and principal designer for the crossing, explained that the soil in the area is rich in clay and silt.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
  • This last characteristic is great for worms and bivalves that vibrate their way through it, but not so great when earthquakes cause silts and clays to slump into landslides.
    — Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 5 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Beirut's private-press scene has little in common with the studio culture of ’80s Tokyo, where an abundance of resources and technology filtered the same foreign influences into something more perfect and polished.
    — Shy Clara Thompson, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Inside Clarify Clinic’s proprietary centrifuge machine, which is designed to filter contaminants out of human blood.
    — Tracy Achonwa, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Continue reading … COURT ORDER — Judge orders Trump to sit for deposition in his $10B defamation lawsuit against BBC.
    — , FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Attorney Randi McGinn said in her closing argument for the state that Facebook profited off harmful content, which CEO Mark Zuckerberg denied during his video deposition.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • If possible, transition to point-of-service collections or require upfront deposits for large projects.
    — Nathan Mor, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Because the Fed has kept rates elevated, savers continue to benefit from relatively attractive yields on high-yield savings accounts and other deposit products.
    — Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Acid can be used to leach elements like calcium out, then a chemical or energetic process precipitates that calcium as calcium hydroxide.
    — Scott K. Johnson, ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026
  • One such innovative solution is to utilize the natural ability of microbes to precipitate minerals.
    — Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Sediment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sediment. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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