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
ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
And there’s no ice now in Tarryall, a tributary of the South Platte River.
—Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 17 Apr. 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
The strongest releases from Flaming Gorge in the days and weeks ahead will be calibrated to help native fish in the Green River, a Colorado River tributary.
—ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
And there’s no ice now in Tarryall, a tributary of the South Platte River.
—Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 17 Apr. 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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Already primed for catastrophe, townspeople’s discovery that developers had quietly targeted Acton for multiple battery projects stoked fears of industrial blight, fire and contamination of residential water wells and the nearby headwaters of Southern California’s last free-flowing river.—
Bloomberg,
Oc Register,
23 Apr. 2026
-
That’s less than half the typical spring flows during planting season, due to the low snowpack in the mountains west of Leadville above the headwaters of the Arkansas River.—
Bruce Finley,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Yet the book medium, which favors the expository side of Paglen’s practice, can make his artworks feel subordinate to his research.—
Louis Bury,
ARTnews.com,
1 May 2026
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The suit, filed in San Diego Superior Court by the America First Policy Institute, also alleges that California’s sanctuary laws are subordinate to federal law.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Better known as the Para-Commandos, these paratroopers are composed of volunteers from every military branch.—
Phillip Valys,
Sun Sentinel,
2 May 2026
-
How to prepare before strong winds approach Trim tree branches away from your house and power lines.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
Shirley was buried in a segregated graveyard under live oaks, on a bayou.—
Jesmyn Ward,
Vanity Fair,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Here the lodge’s rangers transport us on boats, searching for hippos who give themselves away by clusters of bubbles rising to the surface of the bayou.—
Lucie Grace,
TheWeek,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The project is critically important for the growing city, said Sarah Young, an assistant general manager for the utility.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
1 May 2026
-
Last week, Pernerewski said city officials had started the process of finding a new water superintendent and that assistant water superintendent Chris Savage would oversee the day-to-day operations of the Bureau of Water until the position was filled.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Over time, birdbaths and feeders can collect algae, mold, and mildew, which aren't safe for birds.—
Samantha Johnson,
Martha Stewart,
29 Apr. 2026
-
These crops are also heavy feeders, as are brassicas like cabbage, kale, and broccoli.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The pair, who were married for 18 years before their divorce over a decade ago, wore complementary outfits for their dinner date, both opting for cropped jackets and jeans while the Mask of Zorro star held his baseball cap in his hands.—
Clare Fisher,
PEOPLE,
28 Apr. 2026
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The complementary conditioner dials up the moisture with shea butter, murumuru butter, and amino acids to smooth and strengthen—leaving hair soft, bouncy, and ready for styling.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
At least three rounds were fired, sources said.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
2 May 2026
-
The science of acoustic fire suppression, which has long been known and documented in scientific literature and the press, works by vibrating oxygen molecules away from a fuel source, depriving the fire of a critical component needed for combustion.—
Cyrus Farivar,
ArsTechnica,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tributary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tributary. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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