distributary

noun

Definition of distributarynext
as in tributary

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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 distributary Delhi gets its water from the Yamuna river, while Kolkata uses water from the Hooghly river, a distributary of the Ganga. — Sanjana Venkatesan, Quartz India, 2 July 2019 In 1831, a pathway was dredged between a distributary of the Mississippi and the Red, leading to the formation of the present Atchafalaya river channel. — Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com, 12 Dec. 2017 Saline water has long been invading the delta, but because of the drought there is not enough fresh water in the river and its distributaries to dilute the seawater. — Jane Perlez, New York Times, 28 May 2016 To the left another plume is coming from the Atchafalaya River, a distributary of the Mississippi. — Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 30 July 2013
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distributary
  1. tributary
  2. canal
  3. waterway
  4. branch
  5. influent
  6. watercourse
Noun
  • Environmental groups sent a letter threatening to file suit against Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport for spills of fuel, sewage and other substances into the Flint River and its tributaries over a period of years.
    — Kelly Yamanouchi, AJC.com, 30 July 2026
  • The fun part was reaching every pole in every neighborhood in a town crisscrossed by tributaries of the Albany River.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 30 July 2026
Definition of tributary
Noun
  • Water authorities trying to maintain adequate supplies of fresh water have banned farmers in some parts of the country from pumping water out of canals to irrigate their crops.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Stephanie Gavan is a freelance writer and editor from Liverpool with a background in contemporary art and a deep affection for Italy, having spent years living among the canals of Venice.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of canal
Noun
  • Environmental groups estimate, using methods developed by the EPA, that unregulated businesses have been responsible for 30% to 60% of copper and zinc found in waterways, which at high concentrations are toxic to fish and other animals.
    — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
  • Eighty percent of China’s oil imports arrive through the Strait of Malacca, a narrow waterway that could be cut off in the event of a conflict over Taiwan.
    — Rogé Karma, The Atlantic, 29 July 2026
Definition of waterway
Noun
  • The research initiative will operate as a branch of Polymarket and aims to provide the institutional rigor and infrastructure necessary to measure how prediction markets can function at scale.
    — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 29 July 2026
  • At the base, blueberry shrubs have multiple canes (or branches) that grow directly out of the earth in clumps.
    — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 28 July 2026
Definition of branch
Noun
  • So far, the city has completed several major components of the Springbrook improvement project, including adding in an ultraviolet disinfection system that replaced the facility’s old chlorine disinfection system and adding new pumps at the influent pump station.
    — Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
  • The influent flow is slowed to allow human and food organic waste to settle on the bottom of the tank.
    — The Seattle Times, The Seattle Times, 29 Apr. 2017
Definition of influent
Noun
  • Father and son were swept away by a landslide in the city of Arequipa in a neighborhood built directly over an ancient natural watercourse.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Feb. 2026
  • At the same time, there are riparian natives — those that grow along watercourses — which may need regular attention in terms of water needs for many years after planting.
    — Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 8 Nov. 2025
Definition of watercourse

Browse Nearby Words

distributaries
distributary
distribute
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Cite this Entry

“Distributary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distributary. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

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