2
: a muddy or slushy mass, deposit, or sediment: such as
a
: precipitated solid matter produced by water and sewage treatment processes
b
: muddy sediment in a steam boiler
c
: a precipitate or settling (such as a mixture of impurities and acid) from a mineral oil
3
Examples of sludge in a Sentence
after a day of heavy rain, the fairgrounds had turned into pure sludge
I can't bring myself to read that sludge.
Recent Examples on the Web
And at least one section became known for the bubbles produced by toxic sludge on its floor.
—
Michael Loria, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025
The Little Calumet, just blocks from where Steagall used to live, had shores like quicksand from all the toxic sludge and the Grand Calumet River was one of the most polluted bodies of water emptying into Lake Michigan.
—Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 15 Sep. 2025
Desalinating that water, however, would produce tons of brine, or super-salty sludge, as waste.
—Austin Corona, AZCentral.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Meanwhile, the onset of the rainy season has exacerbated already deplorable conditions, transforming dust into thick sludge, flooding fragile shelters, and bringing swarms of malaria-carrying mosquitoes.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sludge
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Michael Loria, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025
The Little Calumet, just blocks from where Steagall used to live, had shores like quicksand from all the toxic sludge and the Grand Calumet River was one of the most polluted bodies of water emptying into Lake Michigan.
—Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 15 Sep. 2025
Desalinating that water, however, would produce tons of brine, or super-salty sludge, as waste.
—Austin Corona, AZCentral.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Meanwhile, the onset of the rainy season has exacerbated already deplorable conditions, transforming dust into thick sludge, flooding fragile shelters, and bringing swarms of malaria-carrying mosquitoes.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sludge
Cite this Entry
“Sludge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sludge. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
sludge
1 of 2 noun
: a semisolid precipitated mass or deposit
biliary sludge
especially
: sludged blood
sludge
2 of 2 intransitive verb
sludged; sludging
: to form sludge
positions that cause blood to sludge—L. K. Altman
L. K. AltmanLove words? Need even more definitions?
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