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
There's an open bank branch and Troni’s Italian Bistro restaurant under construction, plus more commercial space that could be used for restaurants, small businesses and a hair salon. Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 7 Aug. 2025 Denver Public Library branches are also open to the public as a way to get out of the heat, city officials said. Katie Langford, Denver Post, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
Inuit movement in Greenland seems to have branched in both directions from the initial, northern settlement point, in two waves, per the study. Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 10 July 2025 Haifaa Al-Mansour (directors branch), Effie T. Brown (producers branch) and Annie Chang (production and technology branch, Science and Technology Council Chair). Clayton Davis, Variety, 23 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for branch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for branch
Noun
  • No, wait— a few flakes come dusting down, where one limb shakes.
    David Baker, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2025
  • Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Murdoch was also asked on the call about the FCC under chairman Brendan Carr, who has launched investigations into the affiliate relationships between NBC, ABC, and their respective local station owners.
    Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2025
  • Here’s the important caveat, though: The loss of CPB money is a major blow to local PBS affiliates.
    Andy Meek, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The plan was to explore the Palouse River, a tributary of the Snake, by boat, then hop on a bus to hike alongside Palouse Falls.
    Becky Cooper, Travel + Leisure, 12 Aug. 2025
  • The region’s gently rolling hills and narrow river valleys quickly direct water into nearby streams and rivers, while saturated soils and the convergence of multiple tributaries led to a rapid rise in water levels.
    Brandi D. Addison, jsonline.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • At both events, the local police departments showed off the skills of the departments’ police dogs.
    Richard Requena, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2025
  • Neither Tait nor the police department immediately responded to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
    Rachel DeSantis, People.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Still, the brightest Perseids should shine through, especially during the predawn hours when the constellation Perseus — from which the meteors appear to radiate, hence the shower's name — climbs high in the northeastern sky.
    Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 12 Aug. 2025
  • The shower originates from debris left by Comet Swift-Tuttle and appears to radiate from the constellation Perseus in the northeastern sky.
    Amanda Castro Hannah Parry Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Now, for the first time, researchers have shown that lithium is naturally present in the body in tiny amounts and that cells require it to function normally — much like vitamin C or iron.
    Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2025
  • Having too much glucose in your blood for an extended period of time can lead to insulin resistance, when your cells stop responding to insulin.
    Kaitlin Sullivan, Health, 7 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Detectives have reached out to several police agencies across the country to discuss various suspects and cases that have any similarities to the Fleming case, the release states.
    NWA Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 8 Aug. 2025
  • Analysts have found that countries like the DR Congo, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Sudan received over one-fifth of their total development assistance from the now-defunct US agency, Semafor reported back in February.
    Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Set your cut flower stems immediately in a bucket of cool water.
    Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Aug. 2025
  • In late May and early June 2025, a spike in overdoses took dozens of lives in New Haven County, sparking a desperate attempt to stem a fatal mix of drugs.
    Katy Golvala, Hartford Courant, 4 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Branch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/branch. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.

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