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
  • The town is worried about the effect the wall would have on a series of berms and levees built in the 1970s and 1980s along the Rio Grande and tributaries to combat flooding.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 July 2026
  • By summer 1951, unusually heavy rainfall had overwhelmed existing and newly built flood-control structures along the Kansas, Marais des Cygnes, and Neosho rivers and their tributaries.
    — Michelle Oliva-Espinosa, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2026
Definition of tributary
Noun
  • The agency’s testing identified cyclospora in two samples taken from a canal that the farm used for irrigation.
    — Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
  • The Ada County Coroner’s Office has identified the man killed in a police shooting Thursday near a canal and gas station at the South Cloverdale and West Overland roads intersection in Boise.
    — Rachel Roberts, Idaho Statesman, 24 July 2026
Definition of canal
Noun
  • Like the Strait of Hormuz, Bab al-Mandeb is an exceedingly narrow waterway through which a significant chunk of the global economy transits.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
  • On Monday, only 13 ships crossed the vital waterway, and on Tuesday that number was only nine, according to an analysis of ship movements by MarineTraffic.
    — Steve Kopack, NBC news, 22 July 2026
Definition of waterway
Noun
  • Members of the Morrison family are coming out against the controversial sale of the beloved YMCA branch in south Charlotte bearing their name.
    — Chase Jordan July 23, Charlotte Observer, 23 July 2026
  • According to the Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office, picking fruit off an overhanging branch can result in a $200 civil citation or even criminal charges.
    — Amaia Gavica, Miami Herald, 23 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 27 Jul. 2026.

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