branch 1 of 2

noun

ˈbranch How to pronounce branch (audio)
Definition of branchnext
1
as in limb
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
as in affiliate
a local unit of an organization a bank with many neighborhood branches

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in tributary
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
4
as in department
a large unit of a governmental, business, or educational organization the two branches of the U.S. Congress

Synonyms & Similar Words

branch

2 of 2

verb

as in to radiate
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 branch
Noun
The explosion was set off in front of the local branch of Colombia’s tax collection agency near the Francisco de Paula de Santander International bridge. — Manuel Rueda, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026 The system operates 16 public library branches across the county. — Todd Karpovich, Baltimore Sun, 27 Oct. 2026
Verb
Sellers have cut prices, closed stores, branched into other patriotic merchandise or turned to Trump’s rallies for sales. — Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026 Through a particular sequence of such branching decisions, Waddington argued, cells specialize into their mature types, or fates, each expressing a particular set of genes. — Quanta Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for branch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for branch
  1. limb
  2. affiliate
  3. tributary
  4. department
  5. radiate
  6. cell
  7. agency
  8. stem
Noun
  • The clear frontrunner was Chris Brown, a 16-year-old multi-threat from Virginia who sang, rapped, and danced like his limbs were made of gas-station inflatables.
    — Clover Hope, Pitchfork, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The horses panicked after a tree limb fell and hit the side of the wagon, ranch officials said on social media Saturday.
    — Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of limb
Noun
  • The president spoke with a local Fox affiliate Sunday while on the ground in Port Huron, Michigan, ahead of a campaign rally for downballot Republicans.
    — Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 26 Oct. 2026
  • In October of that year, IRG’s affiliate Access Restoration Services would write a $100,000 check to RPOF.
    — Kate Payne, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of affiliate
Noun
  • As a whole, dispersed across the World Wide Web, its river and tributaries, the words and images and videos form a new corpus of word and art.
    — Sam Kestenbaum, Harpers Magazine, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Viewed from the waters of Turner Creek, a serpentine tributary east of Savannah, the dock stretches so far across the marsh that even those with 20-20 vision must squint to see where planking meets terra firma.
    — Adam Van Brimmer, AJC.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of tributary
Noun
  • To accommodate those patients who’ve been admitted but don’t have a room, the hospital has installed dozens of beds in what was once the emergency department’s waiting room and in adjacent spaces.
    — Melody Petersen, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The local police department is conducting a criminal investigation into the events leading up to the collision and the actions of those involved, Kinnan said Wednesday.
    — Eduardo Cuevas, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of department
Verb
  • The antenna’s radiating surface would face downward, with a protective cover following the wing’s external contours.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • And then there’s an energetic quality, at times radiating light and other times shining it—with or without pulsing strobes—on others.
    — Laura Regensdorf, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of radiate
Noun
  • The team compared their system with the conventional AI Deep Q Network (DQN), which uses algorithms rather than brain cells.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 27 Oct. 2026
  • One story involves an innocent coal miner, condemned to death in 1877, who left a handprint in his cell at the Carbon County Jail that no amount of sanding or paint has been able to erase.
    — Marcus Librizzi, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of cell
Noun
  • The Ebola outbreak that began in DR Congo is becoming a continental crisis after authorities initially underestimated its spread, the head of Africa’s public health agency told Semafor as new cases were reported as far afield as Nigeria.
    — Ruben Nyanguila, semafor.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Trump could direct federal agencies to adopt a different name for the Atlantic or Pacific.
    — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of agency
Verb
  • McKinney touts the city attorney’s prosecutor role as a means to stem quality-of-life crimes and curb homelessness.
    — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • At the request of a coalition of local governments, Central District Health announced Friday plans to spend up to $250,000 on a mix of mapping, trapping and testing possible solutions to stem the spread of rodents through the county.
    — Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of stem

Phrases Containing branch

Browse Nearby Words

brambly
branch
branched
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Cite this Entry

“Branch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/branch. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about branch

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