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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
Flowering Branches For Madison Childs Boniface and Jordan Lee’s January 2026 wedding at a historic theater in Paris, the tables were adorned with flowering branch centerpieces—the perfect nod to the winter season. — Elise Taylor, Vogue, 5 Oct. 2026 Birds chirp in the tree branches above, and a large yellow butterfly alights on a leaf before flapping away into the sloping sunshine. — Sophie Neiman, Christian Science Monitor, 5 Oct. 2026
Verb
Pencil Cactus Despite its branching shape, pencil cactus is a succulent that stores water in its stems, says Aviles. — Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 28 Sep. 2026 Moor explains how this form of thought emphasizes branching, growth, and pruning, as opposed to hierarchical ordering, and shows how these principles can be identified in the work of writers like Tolstoy and Wordsworth. — Fiction Non Fiction, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 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
  • Atwell displays a balletic athleticism while Hiddleston is all enthusiastic limbs and snake hips.
    — Zing Tsjeng, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026
  • When a sensor detected the left or right forelimb moving, the hub sent a limb-specific pulse through the body that reached an implant on the corresponding hind leg, which stimulated the sciatic nerve and made that leg twitch.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of limb
Noun
  • Overlapping with Zaslav during their time at NBCU, Perrette rose to president of digital and affiliate distribution.
    — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The deal also allows Samsung to leverage capabilities across its affiliates, spanning semiconductors and cooling systems to data center construction and batteries, as the group seeks to expand its role in the global AI infrastructure buildout.
    — Jenny Lee, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of affiliate
Noun
  • The Shahtoot Dam, which would be built on a tributary of the Kabul River, could provide water for more than 2 million people in the city.
    — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The Arapiuns flows into the Tapajos, one of the Amazon River’s major tributaries, across waterways so vast that navigating them can feel like crossing the open sea.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of tributary
Noun
  • For example, in 2023, commercial insurers paid more than $2,500 on average for colonoscopies performed in a hospital outpatient department in Massachusetts, according to state data.
    — Bob Herman, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Cosmic Talents, which represents leading international heads of department, is opening a London office.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of department
Verb
  • One of them was Maggie Bieritz, one of those people who radiates joy and wit.
    — Heidi Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The jet carries 500,000 times the energy radiated by the sun and explains the mystery of how feeding black holes become such powerful cosmic particle accelerators and generate such high-energy gamma-ray photons.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of radiate
Noun
  • Controlling and monitoring individual cells has also illuminated neurological diseases, such as Parkinson's and epilepsy.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 5 Oct. 2026
  • His work helped provide a basis for optogenetics, which combines optics and genetics in technologies designed to control events in cells of living animal tissues.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of cell
Noun
  • In 2013 the agency issued a rule saying the exclusion should apply only when an orphan drug is actually used for the rare condition it was designated for.
    — John Mildenberger, STAT, 2 Oct. 2026
  • In addition, only officers who have completed one of five specific agency training courses can conduct vehicle stops.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of agency
Verb
  • The guardrails Republicans were counting on to stem their November losses don’t seem to be holding.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026
  • These measures did not stem the outflow of roughly 100,000 specialists—about a tenth of Russia’s tech workforce—over the course of 2022.
    — Seva Gunitsky, Foreign Affairs, 1 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 8 Oct. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about branch

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