lithify

/ˈlɪθɪfaɪ/
verb
  1. To turn into rock or become rock-like through natural processes like pressure and mineral changes.
    • Over millions of years, layers of sand and mud slowly lithify into sandstone and shale.
    • Geologists study how different types of sediment lithify under varying conditions.
    • The soft sediment began to lithify as more material piled on top of it.
Antonyms
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