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

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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

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
This branch of civil engineering applies the laws of physics and mathematics to design the skeletons of artificial structures. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026 After the Charlotte branch of the American Institute of Architects, or AIA, heard of the developers plans, the group set up a meeting with Digital Realty in July to go over options to save the facade. — Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 12 Aug. 2026
Verb
Multiply it across roughly a half-million setae per foot, each branching into hundreds of contact points, and the combined force is enough to let a gecko hang from a single toe or sprint upside down across a ceiling. — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026 Hunnam — in his star-turning role as Jax Teller, a member and later president of SAMCRO — branched into film during the show’s final seasons. — Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 11 July 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 three towns have been without power since the late Tuesday morning storm because trees, limbs and power lines are down everywhere.
    — Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Fifty-year-old oak trees were ripped from the roots, and debris was scattered everywhere from broken tree limbs.
    — Tammy Mutasa, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of limb
Noun
  • Others have affiliate relationships with travel agents or have started their own travel agencies to capitalize on their audience.
    — Doug Gollan, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • An investigation found there was no credible threat, the sheriff’s office said, according to CNN affiliate WFOR.
    — Diego Mendoza, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of affiliate
Noun
  • Under that circumstance, big river basins would have the same proportions as the small river basins that feed the tributaries within them.
    — Natalie Wolchover, Quanta Magazine, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Presidio is protected by a series of berms and levees built in the 1970s and 1980s along the Rio Grande and tributaries to combat flooding.
    — Rebecca Santana, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of tributary
Noun
  • The department said the suspect remained at the scene and was taken into custody.
    — Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Her hiring came after allegations of a toxic and abusive culture within the department surfaced in a 2020 lawsuit filed by Jennifer Conviser, a sport psychologist who had consulted with DePaul’s athletic department from 2005 to 2018.
    — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of department
Verb
  • The love between Sophie and Liz radiates from their every interaction, even before the bad news hits.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Observations of the Perseids go back more than 2,000 years, with meteors radiating from the constellation of Perseus.
    — Amen Galinato, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of radiate
Noun
  • About 1,100 square feet of the building would be used for temporary holding cells and a detainee shower.
    — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Schrell examined whether annual production campaigns would be more effective, but concluded that the approach would not make economic or operational sense because of costs, limited hot-cell capacity and the isotope’s relatively short half-life.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of cell
Noun
  • But the agency’s independent vaccine advisers unanimously voted in June that the new vaccine’s benefits outweigh its risks.
    — Elise Haulund, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Bill Flood, a spokesman for DEEP, said the agency decided to commission a new population survey to help inform its ongoing conservation efforts and its work to mitigate conflicts between people and bears.
    — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of agency
Verb
  • The curiosity surrounding this kind of institution today stems precisely from the question of how such a school can still exist.
    — Roberto Prieto, Variety, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Health experts are racing to stem the outbreak which WHO officials believe started months earlier than officially declared.
    — Rael Ombuor, Washington Post, 11 Aug. 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 17 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on branch

Nglish: Translation of branch for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about branch

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