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

The dead zone is connected to runoff from one of the largest rivers in the world, the Mississippi. — Jen Christensen, CNN, "The Gulf could see one of the largest dead zones in history this year," 10 June 2019 Three people died in another crash into the same river in 2011. — Jim Mustian, BostonGlobe.com, "One person killed in helicopter crash landing in Manhattan," 10 June 2019 Three people died in another crash into the same river in 2011. — Jim Mustian, Anchorage Daily News, "Helicopter crashes on roof of NYC skyscraper; pilot killed," 10 June 2019 For instance, Crown Reef Beach Resort and Waterpark has 15 water features, including the longest beachfront lazy river in town and water slides to keep every member of the family cool. — Jennifer Franklin, USA TODAY, "8 Myrtle Beach activities that your family (and wallet) will love," 7 June 2019 Here in Orlando, there’s no river of cheese just yet (my money’s on Epcot if anyone’s taking bets), but there are myriad options for celebrating National Cheese Day today, June 4. — Amy Drew Thompson, orlandosentinel.com, "Myriad options await National Cheese Day revelers in Central Florida," 4 June 2019 Not the Mekong, the longest river in Southeast Asia. — Jon Swain, WSJ, "‘The Last Days of the Mighty Mekong’ Review: A River’s Own Long Journey," 3 May 2019 The hotel’s ice is harvested from the river in March and stored until construction starts in October when the air is cool enough to keep the ice intact. — Liz Stinson, Curbed, "The Icehotel is back and as fantastical as ever," 20 Dec. 2018 Luang Prabang, the famous town between two rivers in Laos, full of monks and teak houses and coffee shops and hippies. — Melinda Stevens, Condé Nast Traveler, "Editor's Letter: The Hotels, Islands, and Cruises to Watch in 2019," 18 Dec. 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.