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
Thanks to the cold water temperature, lack of natural light, and the layers of silt covering many of the artifacts, the ship and its contents were in remarkably good condition. — ArsTechnica, 8 May 2026 The Hansen Dam Aquatic Center pool was constructed in 1999 in a $15-million project to replace a previous pool in the area that was filled with silt. — Dante Estrada, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
Verb
The rock was originally silt on the seafloor that, it's argued, hosted early microbial life that was buried by more silt, leaving the carbon as their remains. — Howard Lee, ArsTechnica, 11 Aug. 2025 All the while, the Guadalquivir River, which allowed ships into Seville, began to silt up, forcing trade southward to the coastal town of Cádiz. — Walker Mimms, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2023 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
  • At Walhalla Glades, the carbon instead sat within silicate-rich sediment.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 4 July 2026
  • The results showed that even after weeks of biological growth and sediment buildup, which heavily obscured the test targets, the system successfully identified every single weapon.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 3 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
  • News of his death – one example of the political violence roiling America in recent years – quickly went global, with graphic videos flooding social media and politicians on both sides of the aisle swiftly condemning the killing.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • Video from the store's security camera captured the collapse, showing a portion of the roof fall near the bakery section as a deluge of water flooded the interior.
    — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 6 July 2026
Definition of flood
Noun
  • The Rhône's predominantly granite soils versus Walla Walla's basalt bedrock, riverbed cobbles, and windblown loess.
    — Paul Caputo, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • The death toll was so high partly because many people lived in cave dwellings carved into soft loess soil.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 15 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
  • 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
  • Rather, our solar system is a celestial shooting gallery, chock-full of flying projectiles—not just meteoroids but larger bodies, such as comets, asteroids, and other cosmic detritus—and Earth is right in the firing line.
    — Govert Schilling, Scientific American, 27 June 2026
Definition of detritus
Verb
  • Word is Taylor Swift and her longtime stylist, Joseph Cassell, were swamped with sketches from designers from all over the world for this weekend’s wedding of music’s most famous pop star to football’s now most famous tight end.
    — Merle Ginsberg, HollywoodReporter, 29 June 2026
  • The researchers suspect that, during high solar activity, the signal from the planet’s magnetic influence is swamped.
    — John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 25 June 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 7 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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