BRANCHES Synonyms: 97 Similar and Opposite Words

branches 1 of 2

noun

plural of branch

as in limbs

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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Relevance

as in affiliates

a local unit of an organization a bank with many neighborhood branches

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as in tributaries

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

as in departments

a large unit of a governmental, business, or educational organization the two branches of the U.S. Congress

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branches

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of branch

as in radiates

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 branches

Noun

The tree still stood, waiting, but no one visited, no one entered the world under her strong branches, her rustling leaves. — Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026 Delays have occurred across all branches of the military, but the longest are at Air National Guard bases, which on average are set to hit cleanup milestones more than 30 years later than originally promised. — Austin Fast, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026 Missouri’s 4th Congressional District includes Jackson County’s eastern suburbs and branches east toward Columbia and south into the Ozarks. — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 11 Sep. 2026 Climbing Roses Climbing roses should not be pruned in the fall except to remove broken branches. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 10 Sep. 2026 Its branches hold remembrances of beloved pets, each including a photo and details about their life. — Yvonne Villasenor, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026 Not only does red twig dogwood look great, but its dense branches also provide shelter for wildlife through the winter. — Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 10 Sep. 2026 Most branches have maker spaces for artists looking to record music with professional studio equipment. — Caden Perry, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2026 Overall, the bank plans to add 100 new branches across its footprint in the next two years, with 20 targeted specifically for the Charlotte market. — Charlotte Observer, 4 Sep. 2026

Verb

His demise, paired with the disappearance of mobster-type Nicky Caccimelio (Bobby Cannavale), sets the trio on the first phase of their adventures, which inevitably branches into fresh red herrings in customary Only Murders fashion. — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for branches

Noun

As blood gushed from deep puncture wounds on his torso and limbs, Singh fought to get away from his attacker.

— Gagandeep Singh, Sacbee.com, 17 Sep. 2026
Alas, poor Bryan is about to learn the hard way that change — as the saying goes — is as hard to outrun as an ever-growing zombie rat king with 37 different limbs and a weirdly personal vendetta.

— David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of limbs

Noun

Broad rivers formed by the gentle joining of their tributaries, too numerous to count.

— Supriya Lopez Pillai, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Together, the fish passages have opened up more than 60 miles of river and tributaries and roughly 2,400 acres of wetland habitat for migratory fish.

— Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of tributaries

Noun

Some departments have reversed cuts and hired some workers and contractors back in certain roles to fill government needs while are also continuing plans to relocate staff out of Washington to regional hubs, which could also lead to attrition.

— Benjamin Siegel, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026
Colleges are cutting costs by eliminating humanities departments.

— Nora Oakes Howard, Hartford Courant, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of departments

Verb

Even a simple good deed radiates kindness and promotes the welfare of humanity.

— The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 14 Sep. 2026
Pidgeon radiates star power in Love Story, but Mulligan is one of the complicated hearts of the second season of Beef.

— Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of radiates

Noun

One example is China, which produces around 80% of the global supply of battery cells.

— Alex Saric, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026
At Fuerte Guaicaipuro, a military facility, investigators documented detainees being confined in pit-like cells dug below ground level and subjected to cold, food deprivation and other degrading treatment.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of cells

Noun

Hundreds of those grants were later reinstated when a federal judge ruled that the slap-dash nature of the terminations violated the Administrative Procedures Act, which regulates how agencies are supposed to change policies.

— Anil Oza, STAT, 17 Sep. 2026
Thanks to the support of Canadian agencies, these teams might very well achieve this goal, reinforcing the transatlantic collaborations between European and Canadian animation industries.

— Kevin Giraud, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of agencies

Verb

Snip mint stems right above the leaf node, according to Luay Ghafari, gardening consultant and author of the book Seed to Table.

— Lauren Wellbank, Martha Stewart, 14 Sep. 2026
For fuller-looking plants, pot several rooted stems together in a single container.

— Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Sep. 2026