1
as in streams
a passageway for water
A fallen tree branch was floating down the river.
Related Words
Relevance
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.
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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 rivers
The reopening of the fishing season is a good sign that the health of the state’s rivers is improving, said Wade Crowfoot, California’s natural resources secretary.
—
Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026
Much of the salmon caught in the ocean originate in California's Klamath and Sacramento rivers.
—CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
Despite its name, the New River is one of the oldest rivers on the continent.
—Jordan Charbonneau, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2026
Much of the salmon caught in the ocean originate in California’s Klamath and Sacramento rivers.
—ABC News, 12 Apr. 2026
Fireworks will explode over rivers.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2026
In recent years, cities have been living through short storms that turn subway stations into lakes, streets into rivers, cars into boats.
—Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Around the time this individual was alive, the Yucatán Peninsula was a semi-arid savannah with no rivers or lakes.
—Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Apr. 2026
That means there is roughly 74% less snow than normal feeding rivers like the Colorado River.
—Rj Sangosti, Denver Post, 5 Apr. 2026
Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026
Much of the salmon caught in the ocean originate in California's Klamath and Sacramento rivers.
—CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
Despite its name, the New River is one of the oldest rivers on the continent.
—Jordan Charbonneau, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2026
Much of the salmon caught in the ocean originate in California’s Klamath and Sacramento rivers.
—ABC News, 12 Apr. 2026
Fireworks will explode over rivers.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2026
In recent years, cities have been living through short storms that turn subway stations into lakes, streets into rivers, cars into boats.
—Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Around the time this individual was alive, the Yucatán Peninsula was a semi-arid savannah with no rivers or lakes.
—Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Apr. 2026
That means there is roughly 74% less snow than normal feeding rivers like the Colorado River.
—Rj Sangosti, Denver Post, 5 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rivers
Noun
-
Villas and suites are decorated with ornate teak and rattan furnishings, and come with private pools and views overlooking tropical gardens, canals, and mountains.—
Asia London Palomba,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Apr. 2026
-
These individuals shaped Charleston’s politics and economy by building canals, roads, bridges, forts— virtually all the colony’s infrastructure—but their contributions were not documented and their names are unknown.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The advisory noted there are risks of natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods and landslides — warning the Kathmandu Valley is prone to harsh weather.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Trooper, which sells a 75-item box equipped with water pouches, meal bars, and a hand-crank radio, designed to sustain a family of four for 72 hours, built its kits after the 2024 floods but has found an altogether different audience since the missile and drone volleys started, AGBI reported.—
Manal Albarakati,
semafor.com,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
British plans for a canal system through the Lowcountry were ambitious, and New Cut was only one of dozens of hand-dug waterways.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The nutria has been a highly destructive rodent that poses a threat to the state’s agriculture and waterways.—
Samantha Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Even after the leaks were plugged with cement, rivulets of oil persisted for months, and the oil spill’s ecological and cultural impacts lasted even longer.—
Jeffrey Marlow,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
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
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 15 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
