Illustration of siphon
- siphon 1a
variants
or less commonly syphon
1
a
: a tube bent to form two legs of unequal length by which a liquid can be transferred to a lower level over an intermediate elevation by the pressure of the atmosphere in forcing the liquid up the shorter branch of the tube immersed in it while the excess of weight of the liquid in the longer branch when once filled causes a continuous flow
b
usually syphon
: a bottle for holding aerated water that is driven out through a bent tube in its neck by the pressure of the gas when a valve in the tube is opened
2
: any of various tubular organs in animals and especially mollusks or arthropods that are used for drawing in or ejecting fluids
variants
or less commonly syphon
siphoned also syphoned; siphoning also syphoning
ˈsī-fə-niŋ 
ˈsīf-niŋ
: to convey, draw off, or empty by or as if by a siphon
—often used with off
: to pass by or as if by a siphon
Examples of siphon in a Sentence
Verb
The water needs to be siphoned from the pool.
She illegally siphoned money out of other people's bank accounts.
Funds were siphoned from the schools to build a new stadium.
The large chain stores are siphoning profits from the small local stores.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jasna Hodžić, Big Think, 22 Apr. 2026
To preserve automatic ballot access, Shillings must pass that critical threshold in November — a prospect that could be made more difficult if Ballard gets on the ballot and siphons some Libertarian voters.
—Marissa Meador, IndyStar, 24 Mar. 2026
Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 1 May 2026
Twenty years later, all of the money and power in publishing has been siphoned to the very, very rich.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for siphon
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Noun
This suggests that activating a stress response siphons energy away from long-term maintenance processes.
—Jasna Hodžić, Big Think, 22 Apr. 2026
To preserve automatic ballot access, Shillings must pass that critical threshold in November — a prospect that could be made more difficult if Ballard gets on the ballot and siphons some Libertarian voters.
—Marissa Meador, IndyStar, 24 Mar. 2026
Verb
But many of Lamont’s fellow Democrats in the legislature’s majority have argued for the past two years that Connecticut saves too aggressively, siphoning dangerously large amounts from town aid and other core programs and effectively forcing one generation to solve a problem created by three.
—Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 1 May 2026
Twenty years later, all of the money and power in publishing has been siphoned to the very, very rich.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for siphon
Cite this Entry
“Siphon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/siphon. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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