BRANCHES Synonyms: 97 Similar and Opposite Words

branches 1 of 2

noun

plural of branch

as in limbs

a major outgrowth from the main stem of a woody plant I loved climbing among the branches of that old tree

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in affiliates

a local unit of an organization a bank with many neighborhood branches

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as in tributaries

a stream that flows into a larger body of water the Blue Nile, the Atbara, and the White Nile are the three primary branches of the Nile River

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in departments

a large unit of a governmental, business, or educational organization the two branches of the U.S. Congress

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branches

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of branch

as in radiates

to extend outwards from or as if from a central point threads branched from the center of the spider web

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of branches

Noun

The tree still stood, waiting, but no one visited, no one entered the world under her strong branches, her rustling leaves. — Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026 Delays have occurred across all branches of the military, but the longest are at Air National Guard bases, which on average are set to hit cleanup milestones more than 30 years later than originally promised. — Austin Fast, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026 Missouri’s 4th Congressional District includes Jackson County’s eastern suburbs and branches east toward Columbia and south into the Ozarks. — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 11 Sep. 2026 Climbing Roses Climbing roses should not be pruned in the fall except to remove broken branches. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 10 Sep. 2026 Its branches hold remembrances of beloved pets, each including a photo and details about their life. — Yvonne Villasenor, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026 Not only does red twig dogwood look great, but its dense branches also provide shelter for wildlife through the winter. — Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 10 Sep. 2026 Most branches have maker spaces for artists looking to record music with professional studio equipment. — Caden Perry, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2026 Overall, the bank plans to add 100 new branches across its footprint in the next two years, with 20 targeted specifically for the Charlotte market. — Charlotte Observer, 4 Sep. 2026

Verb

His demise, paired with the disappearance of mobster-type Nicky Caccimelio (Bobby Cannavale), sets the trio on the first phase of their adventures, which inevitably branches into fresh red herrings in customary Only Murders fashion. — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for branches

Noun

The morgue set up in a nearby branch of Brooks Brothers that received limbs one at a time.

— Editorial Board, Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2026
Both the lawsuit and prosecutors allege that Burke used a chainsaw to sever Celeste’s limbs in his garage and tried to collect the blood in a kiddie pool.

— Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of limbs

Noun

The ranchers depend on snowmelt that feeds the Colorado River and its tributaries to nourish grasses and hay pastures for their herds.

— Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
That allowed sea water to infiltrate freshwater tributaries across the peninsula, especially in lagoons and deltas where clam and mussel farms provided ample prey.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of tributaries

Noun

In Thurman’s case, despite clear signs of an ectopic pregnancy, two emergency departments sent her home without resolving the complication.

— Andrea Suozzo, ProPublica, 9 Sep. 2026
The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors amended its current budget to add nearly $3 million to the District Attorney’s Office, and also to give some money back to several other services in other departments.

— Theresa Clift, Sacbee.com, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of departments

Verb

Pidgeon radiates star power in Love Story, but Mulligan is one of the complicated hearts of the second season of Beef.

— Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2026
Andreas brings him to a rich guy’s place, where Luca catches the eye of a flamboyant coke-snorting crossdresser whose affect radiates malevolence.

— Jay Weissberg, Variety, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of radiates

Noun

The big story This photograph taken on November 5, 2025 shows employees inspecting photovoltaic (PV) cells used in solar panels at an Adani Group factory in Gujarat’s port city of Mundra.

— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026
Patients can be treated with a procedure or a cancer drug that stops cells from growing.

— Andrea Suozzo, ProPublica, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of cells

Noun

Some European law enforcement agencies chasing leads spurred by information in the Epstein files say the Justice Department has not responded to their requests.

— Maegan Vazquez, Washington Post, 9 Sep. 2026
Trump cut back the office, along with other national security agencies, as part of his larger government reductions.

— Greg Myre, NPR, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of agencies

Verb

Notable Much of the community-level pushback to data centers stems not only from energy concerns, but from mistrust of large corporations and a fear that small towns will get a bad deal, journalist Jasmine Sun wrote last month.

— J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 11 Sep. 2026
First, the recent surge in European inflation stems largely from supply-side energy factors.

— , CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026