1
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
2
3
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in departments
a large unit of a governmental, business, or educational organization
the two branches of the U.S. Congress
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in radiates
to extend outwards from or as if from a central point
threads branched from the center of the spider web
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of branches
Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2026
How to prepare before strong winds approach Trim tree branches away from your house and power lines.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 7 Apr. 2026
The Teamsters still claim that UPS never had the contractual right to offer driver buyouts, with the labor group and more than 30 of its local branches filing grievances after the program’s announcement.
—Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 6 Apr. 2026
The Revolutionary Guards also have an intelligence service as well as their own versions of traditional military service branches.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 6 Apr. 2026
Republicans are in charge of all three branches of government.
—NBC news, 5 Apr. 2026
Capital One branches and cafes are expected to remain open with normal hours on Easter Sunday.
—Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 5 Apr. 2026
Consider shopping around online, then, as online banks and lending institutions tend to offer more competitive rates on these accounts compared to what banks with physical branches often do.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
The law provides for oversight of state executive agencies and their actions by the legislative and judicial branches.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 30 Mar. 2026
Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
The sap run from the maple trees has started to dwindle as the branches begin to bud out.
—Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2026
How to prepare before strong winds approach Trim tree branches away from your house and power lines.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 7 Apr. 2026
The Teamsters still claim that UPS never had the contractual right to offer driver buyouts, with the labor group and more than 30 of its local branches filing grievances after the program’s announcement.
—Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 6 Apr. 2026
The Revolutionary Guards also have an intelligence service as well as their own versions of traditional military service branches.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 6 Apr. 2026
Republicans are in charge of all three branches of government.
—NBC news, 5 Apr. 2026
Capital One branches and cafes are expected to remain open with normal hours on Easter Sunday.
—Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 5 Apr. 2026
Consider shopping around online, then, as online banks and lending institutions tend to offer more competitive rates on these accounts compared to what banks with physical branches often do.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
The law provides for oversight of state executive agencies and their actions by the legislative and judicial branches.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 30 Mar. 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
-
Kinesiology tape, also called KT tape, is a flexible, adhesive cotton tape frequently seen attached to athletes’ joints, limbs or major muscle areas.—
Kaan Ozcan,
NBC news,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Feeding structures, delicate limbs and even traces of internal organs, which are typically lost during fossilization, are still visible.—
Mindy Weisberger,
CNN Money,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
All opinions expressed by the CNBC Pro contributors are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of CNBC, or its parent company or affiliates, and may have been previously disseminated by them on television, radio, internet or another medium.—
Michael Khouw,
CNBC,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Most markets saw Fox’s Joe Davis and John Smoltz cover the third game of the Yankees-Giants series, although affiliates in the Southeast and the dead center of the country carried the Royals-Braves feed.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
On the Columbia River and its tributaries, the party had to dig out five new canoes and then paddle them through treacherous rapids.—
Craig Fehrman,
Space.com,
6 Apr. 2026
-
That matters because snowpack makes up the bulk of the state’s water supply; Colorado is heavily dependent on surface water in rivers and tributaries fed by melting snow in the soaring Rocky Mountains, in addition to backup supplies in reservoirs.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Ada is the only county in Idaho that operates under a single highway district, created by frustrated voters in 1971 to replace the rural highway districts and city street departments still used in Canyon and other counties.—
Mark Dee
April 4,
Idaho Statesman,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Firefighters collaborated secured the building in collaboration with city departments until representatives of the house arrived on scene to figure out the next steps, authorities said.—
Molly Gibbs,
Mercury News,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That said, Condor's bubbliness radiates through the screen.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
6 Apr. 2026
-
The 6-foot-5, blue-eyed Cipriani — an under-the-radar figure around the entertainment industry who’s now at the center of one of its biggest stories — radiates main character energy.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Researchers studied her cells by cultivating them in a laboratory and saw indications of a selective advantage, with healthy skin cells favored over diseased ones.—
Jerome Groopman,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Antioxidants protect cells from oxidative stress, a form of damage that can accelerate aging and increase the risk of chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, per Novotny.—
Kirsten Nunez,
Martha Stewart,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Mecklenburg currently has two community resource centers in west and east Charlotte, offering one-stop access to county agencies and community groups that help address housing, food insecurity, health and more.—
Mary Ramsey
April 6,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Apr. 2026
-
As far as peptides go, Koniver seemed to support America’s public-health agencies coming under new management.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
A lot of it stems, frankly, from Levin himself.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Mucus oozed out of the coral stems, a telltale response to trauma.—
Jeffrey Marlow,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Branches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/branches. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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