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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in subordinate
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tributary
Catherine Porter, New York Times, 6 June 2023
This was a tributary version of the break-up and floe of ice that historically has happened in all the Great Lakes.
—Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 27 Mar. 2023
Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 14 May 2025
For nearly a decade, state and federal scientists have studied the pernicious aquatic weed hydrilla, looking for its vulnerabilities and studying the tidal ebbs and flows that have seeded it across 200 miles of the river and its tributaries in Connecticut.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tributary
Noun
The edges of the country roads are decorated by tributary statues and banners flashing the faces of Allied soldiers who died in the fight.
—Catherine Porter, New York Times, 6 June 2023
This was a tributary version of the break-up and floe of ice that historically has happened in all the Great Lakes.
—Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 27 Mar. 2023
Adjective
Rural western Maryland schools forced to evacuate About 100 miles north, in the far western corner of Maryland, the North Branch Potomac River and some tributaries burst their banks on Tuesday, forcing the evacuation of schools and businesses.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 14 May 2025
For nearly a decade, state and federal scientists have studied the pernicious aquatic weed hydrilla, looking for its vulnerabilities and studying the tidal ebbs and flows that have seeded it across 200 miles of the river and its tributaries in Connecticut.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tributary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tributary
Noun
-
The Kissimmee was the headwater to that entire process.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
29 June 2025
-
Shingle Creek is the headwaters of the Everglades — an ecosystem that needs to be protected, right next to International Drive.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 June 2025
Adjective
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Independent Trustee: The Court favorably noted that the trustees were not related or subordinate to the settlor, and were not beneficiaries of the trust’s income or principal.—
Martin Shenkman,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2025
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The Soviets had to send troops into Budapest in 1956 and Prague in 1968 to keep the governments there subordinate to Moscow.—
Robert O. Keohane,
Foreign Affairs,
2 June 2025
Noun
-
Recreate a forest setting by planting azaleas among trees, tree stumps and branches, leaves, pine cones, and other items found in a forest.—
Luke Miller,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 July 2025
-
The constitution grants Congress the power to levy tariffs under normal circumstances, though tariffs can also result from executive branch investigations regarding national security risks.—
Josh Boak,
Twin Cities,
7 July 2025
Noun
-
Walking into Colo’s Southern Cafe transports hungry diners to the bayou.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
20 June 2025
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The community is home to beaches and nature trails, such as the Fontainebleau Nature Trail, which has more than 400 positive reviews on AllTrails for its unique terrain and proximity to the bayou.—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
There is bran in the sachet for feeder mites to feed on, and a pinhole for the predatory mites to climb out and disperse.—
Rita Perwich,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 July 2025
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These are piercing, sucking feeders that can reduce plant vigor and lead to some leaf decline.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 July 2025
Adjective
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Here are some tips for mastering the art of bathroom art: Art doesn’t have to match the walls: Smith often chooses art in a color scheme complementary to the walls.—
Dina Cheney,
Los Angeles Times,
30 June 2025
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Nvidia has increasingly been offering more complementary technology alongside its AI chips, including software, a cloud service and networking chips to tie AI accelerators together.—
Kif Leswing,
CNBC,
25 June 2025
Noun
-
Democracy in Action has kept the source of its funding secret.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
1 July 2025
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The Charlotte Hornets agreed to a one-year, $3.6 million deal with Plumlee, league sources confirmed to The Observer on Monday.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
1 July 2025
Adjective
-
In his 1985 report, Popplewell cited the lack of fire extinguishers or clearly signposted evacuation routes as a contributory factor, along with the locked exit gates and no one knowing who was in overall control of the matchday operation.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
10 May 2025
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The news comes in the wake of health officials announcing that Arakawa died at 65 from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare condition that comes from contact with rodents, and Hackman subsequently died at 95 from heart disease, with Alzheimer's as a significant contributory factor.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tributary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tributary. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
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