as in tributary
a stream that flows into a larger body of water
a small creek that is the bayou of a larger stream
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 bayou
The manor’s theme, which has included both a bayou and an asylum, typically changes annually.
—
Laura Kiniry, Popular Science, 22 Oct. 2025
From the outside, the Harris County Jail might be mistaken for a high-end condo, with walls of windows that overlook the bayou in downtown Houston.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2025
As the realities of these men from the bayou of Louisiana and the Yoruba Orisha on which they are based often feel entangled, The Brothers Size is a piece that makes myth of men who find freedom and direction in relationship to each other.
—Essence, 17 Sep. 2025
The restaurant is set inside a building whose interior decor, installed by the family, resembles that of a house in a bygone bayou.
—Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bayou
Laura Kiniry, Popular Science, 22 Oct. 2025
From the outside, the Harris County Jail might be mistaken for a high-end condo, with walls of windows that overlook the bayou in downtown Houston.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2025
As the realities of these men from the bayou of Louisiana and the Yoruba Orisha on which they are based often feel entangled, The Brothers Size is a piece that makes myth of men who find freedom and direction in relationship to each other.
—Essence, 17 Sep. 2025
The restaurant is set inside a building whose interior decor, installed by the family, resembles that of a house in a bygone bayou.
—Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bayou
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bayou
tributary
Noun
-
History is everywhere in Okinawa, which from 1429 to 1879 was the Ryukyu Kingdom, a tributary state under China’s Ming and Qing dynasties.—
Catherine Garcia,
TheWeek,
16 Jan. 2026
-
The falls are also named for this blue-green water, which eventually flows into the Grand Canyon’s Colorado River through side canyons and tributaries.—
Madison Dapcevich,
Outside,
15 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bayou.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bayou. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
