branch 1 of 2

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

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2
as in affiliate
a local unit of an organization a bank with many neighborhood branches

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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

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branch

2 of 2

verb

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
Parker remembers fighting through twigs and branches to reach eagle nests, which can be six feet wide and weigh over a ton. Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 3 Sep. 2025 Fresh Stems for the Perfect Finish Finally, Gaines recommends incorporating natural elements, like fresh stems or large branches from your backyard. Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
Its approach adds structures inspired by dendrites, the branching extensions of neurons, to standard neural networks. Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025 There’s no telling which of those tests could perturb this new saltative branching model into its next evolutionary spike. Jake Buehler, Quanta Magazine, 28 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for branch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for branch
Noun
  • People with the infection can require intensive medical care, and even limb amputation, and 1 in 5 people with the infection die.
    Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
  • The skeleton was nearly complete, missing only the tail and some limb bones, and the skull was in such good condition that its teeth still bore a coating of enamel, Novas said.
    Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Foster is an outfielder for the Tri-City Dust Devils, the Angels’ High-A affiliate in Pascoe, Washington.
    Sam Blum, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Police told Newport News ABC affiliate WVEC that four people were taken to the hospital with dog bites stemming from the attack.
    Jessie DiMartino, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Boats are still the only way to access remote parts of the river and its tributaries.
    Debra Utacia Krol, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2025
  • For example, the core curriculum, itself, includes at least investment, insurance, tax, estate, and retirement planning, with loads of tributaries.
    Tim Maurer, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • By July, the department walked back its need for a large-scale reduction in force.
    Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Renaming the department would likely require an act of Congress.
    Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Just as Queenz Eye’s fashion choices embrace contrast and individuality, their music radiates the same spirit of boldness and diversity.
    Footwear News, Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2025
  • On the outside, Jin Yul radiates a chic and reserved energy.
    Sara Smith, Variety, 27 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • These rooms include the trash compactor, Princess Leia’s prison cell and the tractor beam control room from A New Hope, and Emperor Palpatine’s throne room as seen in Return of the Jedi.
    Daniel S. Levine, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2025
  • This scaffold contains microscopic channels filled with spinal neural progenitor cells, or sNPCs.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • How do these different agencies work together?
    Kristen Edgreen Kaufman, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Congress had enacted byzantine eligibility requirements for disability and Supplemental Security Income benefits, forcing the agency to expend huge amounts of time and money running those programs.
    Eli Hager, ProPublica, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The result is a patchwork of underperforming MPAs that have done little to stem declines.
    Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
  • And after Yuki Matsui worked a 1-2-3 sixth inning to stem the Twins’ three-inning run flow, Cronenworth led off the seventh with a double.
    Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Branch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/branch. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.

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