1
as in streams
a passageway for water
A fallen tree branch was floating down the river.
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2
as in floods
an overwhelming flow or rush of something
Jet streams can be thought of as giant rivers of air that circulate around the globe. He was overwhelmed by the river of new information that the document dump provided.
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Recent Examples of rivers
Overall, according to the study, beavers are increasingly returning to rivers and other natural landscapes across Europe, following decades of collaborative conservation efforts.
—
Doyle Rice, USA Today, 22 Mar. 2026
That alone would create a challenging year for water managers, who rely on slow and steady snowmelt to feed streams, rivers and reservoirs and meet spring and summer demand for irrigation and drinking water.
—Mira Rojanasakul, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2026
In Iraq, too, the bulk of food imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz, despite the country’s access to two major rivers.
—Eleni Giokos, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026
Urban runoff from rivers and creeks can also carry contaminants into coastal waters.
—Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Suddenly, onions were purple brick walls, cotton T-shirts were cobwebs, my own skin was full of extraterrestrial craters and rivers.
—Vrinda Jagota, Pitchfork, 19 Mar. 2026
Invasive blue catfish The invasive blue catfish were introduced into the Chesapeake Bay's rivers in Virginia between the 1960s and 1980s, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026
The tenth child of a noble family, Hildegard was tithed to the Disibodenberg, a monastery nestled between two rivers in Germany’s Rhineland‑Palatinate region, when she was born.
—Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
The camping website notes that its route will have travelers following the Middle Fork Clearwater and Lochsa rivers, both designated Wild and Scenic Rivers, on the way to Lolo Pass between Montana and Idaho.
—Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 15 Mar. 2026
Doyle Rice, USA Today, 22 Mar. 2026
That alone would create a challenging year for water managers, who rely on slow and steady snowmelt to feed streams, rivers and reservoirs and meet spring and summer demand for irrigation and drinking water.
—Mira Rojanasakul, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2026
In Iraq, too, the bulk of food imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz, despite the country’s access to two major rivers.
—Eleni Giokos, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026
Urban runoff from rivers and creeks can also carry contaminants into coastal waters.
—Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Suddenly, onions were purple brick walls, cotton T-shirts were cobwebs, my own skin was full of extraterrestrial craters and rivers.
—Vrinda Jagota, Pitchfork, 19 Mar. 2026
Invasive blue catfish The invasive blue catfish were introduced into the Chesapeake Bay's rivers in Virginia between the 1960s and 1980s, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026
The tenth child of a noble family, Hildegard was tithed to the Disibodenberg, a monastery nestled between two rivers in Germany’s Rhineland‑Palatinate region, when she was born.
—Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
The camping website notes that its route will have travelers following the Middle Fork Clearwater and Lochsa rivers, both designated Wild and Scenic Rivers, on the way to Lolo Pass between Montana and Idaho.
—Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 15 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rivers
Noun
-
In California, groundwater has rebounded in areas that obtained more water from canals or pipelines decades ago, including Santa Clara Valley, Livermore-Amador Valley, South Yuba Basin, Yucca Valley and parts of Los Angeles.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Mar. 2026
-
The lizards have spread rapidly across Florida's waterways and canals.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Resident Dave Levy said his basement continues to be ravaged by floods on and off over the past five years.—
Dave Savini,
CBS News,
25 Mar. 2026
-
An ominous, inexplicable sound that floods dread into your every waking step, and that will eventually drive you to suicide or murder?—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The states are part of a multi-state and international coalition bent on keeping the voracious fish out of the region’s waterways.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
21 Mar. 2026
-
In January 2026, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released plans to open up parts of Southern California, including public land adjacent to national and state parks, protected coastlines, and waterways.—
Madison Dapcevich,
Outside,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Hot stones are added, one by one, as the air inside gets heavier, the heat searing the nose and the throat, the sweat starting in rivulets that turn into streams as the smell gets more intense, the heartbeat swells, the mind races.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
5 Mar. 2026
-
The elaborate network of rainfall, rivulets of ditches, and control structures became a sort of language for Van Lent.—
Michael Adno,
Rolling Stone,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
At the same time, there are riparian natives — those that grow along watercourses — which may need regular attention in terms of water needs for many years after planting.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rivers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rivers. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
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