sediment 1 of 2

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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sediment

2 of 2

noun

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
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
Heavier and more frequent downpours, for example, can increase erosion and send more sediment and nutrients into vulnerable watersheds such as the Chesapeake Bay. Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025 The process of carefully removing the fossil from its rocky entombment involved freeing each fragment from a matrix of friable sediment using fine tools like dental picks and soft brushes, all while battling gusting sea winds and intermittent rain that threatened to compromise the fragile remains. Scott Travers, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sediment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sediment
Verb
  • The team settled on a patient with SD Autism Spectrum disorder who had an ankle sprain but frustrated Dr. Langdon (Patrick Ball) with his endless questions.
    Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2025
  • In October, the parties settled the lawsuit for $1.85 million.
    Erin Jensen, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Search and rescue teams were at the scene on Friday using heavy military equipment and excavators to remove silt from the body of water where the vehicle was found on Wednesday.
    CBS News, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2025
  • In the communities along the Gunpowder River, from Joppatowne and Rumsey Island as well as down past Harewood and Oliver Beach in Baltimore County, the clays and silts continue to foul the waters.
    Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 7 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Jefferson’s Reserve Cask Strength is an eight-year-old bourbon that is non-chill filtered and bottled at 130 proof (65 percent ABV).
    Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 10 Apr. 2025
  • American confidence is based on what's in people's wallet, and Trump's actions point to higher consumer bills, and smaller 401k pots for years to come—with a suspicion that this is all to deliver tax cuts that won't filter down to the Average Working Joe.
    Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The Texas Supreme Court said in November that Paxton would not have to sit for a deposition in the lawsuit — another win for the attorney general, who has managed to avoid testifying about the corruption allegations through the civil lawsuit, his impeachment trial and the federal investigation.
    Kayla Guo, ProPublica, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Details of those incidents — including the discipline Moulton received — were gleaned from depositions and other court filings from a lawsuit against the city by a man who was injured in one of the crashes.
    Cristóbal Reyes, Orlando Sentinel, 10 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • All preorders placed on Framework's site require a $100 deposit, and almost all configurations begin shipping in July.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 10 Apr. 2025
  • For those interested in a more challenging hike, tack on the Crater Lake Trail, which, after a scramble through a glacier rock deposit, leads you to the crystalline water’s shores.
    Elise Taylor, Vogue, 8 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Once completed, the smelter will produce 90,000 tonnes of mixed hydroxide precipitate, a crucial material for making EV batteries.
    Yessar Rosendar, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
  • Says the report: The calomel is captured as a precipitate and transferred to a mercury recycler who presumably converts it to elemental mercury and sells it into commerce. . . .
    Sallie Tisdale, Harper's Magazine, 2 Dec. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Sediment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sediment. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.

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