river

noun, often attributive

riv·er | \ ˈri-vər

Definition of river

1a : a natural stream of water of usually considerable volume

b : watercourse

2a : something resembling a river a river of lava

b rivers plural : large or overwhelming quantities drank rivers of coffee

up the river

: to or in prison was sent up the river

Examples of river in a Sentence

The raft is too small to use on this part of the river. Rivers of mud flowed down the hillside.

Recent Examples on the Web

Around 90% of the plastic in the oceans comes from just 10 rivers: eight are in Asia and two are in Africa. — Camille Harmer, Fortune, "How Banning Plastic Straws Could Make Pollution Even Worse," 12 July 2018 Meanwhile, Zacharias is on an epic journey this summer, kayaking the Arkansas and Mississippi rivers from Colorado to the Gulf of Mexico. — Lynn Horsley, kansascity, "The vote was unanimous: She’s now Johnson County’s new manager," 12 July 2018 The governor’s office says that the bloom has spread to both of Florida’s coasts because the Army Corps of Engineers has been discharging algae-containing water from Lake Okeechobee to various rivers and estuaries. — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, "A Toxic Algal Bloom Is Spreading in Florida’s Waterways," 10 July 2018 While a sign outside the Tham Luang Cave warns that monsoon downpours can transform internal passageways into powerful rivers within a few hours, the boys had explored its caverns before. — Hannah Beech, The Seattle Times, "For some Thai soccer-team members, cave ordeal was only their latest test," 10 July 2018 Millions of Michigan residents rely on the St. Clair and Detroit rivers for their drinking water. — Michigan Wildlife Council, Detroit Free Press, "Polishing a gem: Plan aims for St. Clair-Detroit River system improvements," 10 July 2018 The order also authorizes flushing water south of the lake instead of down the rivers that run to the coasts. — Jennifer Kay, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Blue-green algae, red tide soil beaches, threaten Florida tourism," 10 July 2018 The initial plan was to cover the arena with glass, but the project was later simplified, and now the stadium stands open to winds coming from the wide expanses of the river. — Ivan Nechepurenko, New York Times, "Peeking Around Corners in the World Cup’s Provincial Cities," 14 July 2018 The fire broke out late Monday and forced about 120 people to leave their homes in Vantage, which is located just west of the river. — Scott Sonner, The Seattle Times, "Crews gaining on huge Nevada wildfire visible from space," 10 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'river.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.