as in headwater
a stream that flows into a larger body of water
the Amazon and its more than 1,000 known tributaries form the world's largest drainage basin
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as in subordinate
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tributary
Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 1 June 2026
In Lake Michigan, the chief source of drinking water for Chicago and its suburbs, the pellets spread from tributaries and pour out of dozens of sewage treatment plants ringing the lake.
—Chicago Tribune, 1 June 2026
Leia Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 19 Sep. 2023
Sometimes the killers may be Chechens maybe organized by Putin’s other feral favourite, his tributary ruler of Russia’s Chechen republic, Kadyrov.
—Time, 24 Aug. 2023
See All Example Sentences for tributary
Noun
Nearly 240 million gallons of sewage spilled into the river and its tributaries during eight days after a 72-inch section of the Potomac Interceptor sewer line ruptured in mid-January.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 1 June 2026
In Lake Michigan, the chief source of drinking water for Chicago and its suburbs, the pellets spread from tributaries and pour out of dozens of sewage treatment plants ringing the lake.
—Chicago Tribune, 1 June 2026
Adjective
That salty, terminal lake had its tributary water diverted away by the city of Los Angeles, turning it into a dry salt flat.
—Leia Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 19 Sep. 2023
Sometimes the killers may be Chechens maybe organized by Putin’s other feral favourite, his tributary ruler of Russia’s Chechen republic, Kadyrov.
—Time, 24 Aug. 2023
See All Example Sentences for tributary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tributary
Noun
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While the river’s headwaters are near Salem, most of the outfitters are located in Steelville.—
Kelsey Yandura,
Midwest Living,
17 June 2026
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That compact was adopted in 1943 by Colorado, the headwaters of the Republican and several tributaries, and Nebraska and Kansas, the two down-river states.—
Allen Best,
Denver Post,
14 June 2026
Adjective
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The economic order must remain subordinate to human dignity and the common good.—
Scott Simon,
NPR,
30 May 2026
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The study examined 518 manager-subordinate relationships and found that this leadership approach enhanced both employee thriving and performance through stronger positive job attitudes.—
Mary Hemphill,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Noun
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In a statement to CNN, Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, the military branch which runs its drone operations, said that over the past year the number of mid-range strike missions had risen 28-fold.—
Gianluca Mezzofiore,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
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To alleviate these shortages, prisoners supplemented the farm and labor forces at branch camps throughout Arkansas, mostly in the Delta and southern regions.—
Helaine Williams,
Arkansas Online,
20 June 2026
Adjective
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Man City is also without a manager but is reportedly eying Enzo Maresca, the former Chelsea coach who was assistant to Guardiola at City in its treble-winning season of 2022-23.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 June 2026
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During Thursday’s board meeting, Chris Ralston, SCUSD’s assistant superintendent of facilities, outlined the possibility of adding a parcel tax measure to the November ballot.—
Chaewon Chung,
Sacbee.com,
19 June 2026
Noun
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Introduce yourself to the local critters living in the tanks inside, then stroll the gorgeous bayou walkways or take your little ones to the nature play garden.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
17 June 2026
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The bayou rhythms already had some people dancing in the area between the pavilion’s seats and its lawn.—
Kevin McKeough,
Chicago Tribune,
7 June 2026
Adjective
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Bright orange-red shells turned heads, hinting at the bold and surprisingly complementary caramelized and crustacean flavors.—
Louisa Kung Liu Chu,
Chicago Tribune,
16 June 2026
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So for us the two fairs are complementary.—
Harrison Jacobs,
ARTnews.com,
15 June 2026
Noun
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Plus, squirrel feeders help keep the critters off your bird feeders.—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
18 June 2026
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Place all feeders accordingly to ensure the most amount of birds visiting.—
Abby Fribush,
Southern Living,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
Alzheimer’s disease was a significant contributory factor in Hackman’s death.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
4 May 2026
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The court recognizes that the concepts of contributory liability in these statutory types of IP protection share common boundaries.—
Jess Collen,
Forbes.com,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tributary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tributary. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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