as in tributary
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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
By the 1950s, scientists noticed the consequences: more water was going down the Atchafalaya River, a distributary of the Mississippi.
—Boyce Upholt, Time, 9 May 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
Sanjana Venkatesan, Quartz India, 2 July 2019
By the 1950s, scientists noticed the consequences: more water was going down the Atchafalaya River, a distributary of the Mississippi.
—Boyce Upholt, Time, 9 May 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
Noun
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On the Columbia River and its tributaries, the party had to dig out five new canoes and then paddle them through treacherous rapids.—
Craig Fehrman,
Space.com,
6 Apr. 2026
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That matters because snowpack makes up the bulk of the state’s water supply; Colorado is heavily dependent on surface water in rivers and tributaries fed by melting snow in the soaring Rocky Mountains, in addition to backup supplies in reservoirs.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
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While the canal itself was commissioned in 1802 by Napoleon I to bring fresh water into the city, the vibe is distinctly contemporary with some of Paris's hottest restaurants, cafés and bars scattered alongside it.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Apr. 2026
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In flood-prone Gowanus, where wastewater has a tendency to surface on sidewalks and streets during storms, absorbent ground was installed more than a decade ago in the form of Sponge Park, a rain garden that the landscape architect Susannah Drake created along the canal.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
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On Wednesday and Thursday, at least 12 ships passed through the waterway, data from ship tracking company, Marine Traffic, shows.—
Brian Dakss,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
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Tehran’s control over the waterway has proved its biggest strategic advantage in the war.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The islands are home to a very conservative branch of Calvinism which believes deeply in the Sabbath.—
Cressida Leyshon,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
-
She’s assisted by Dakota (Whitney Peak), the film’s other, younger heroine, who at one point makes her way over a floating rooftop and rickety branches, improvising the acrobatics of survival.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
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The project, which was listed as the third highest priority in the Facilities Plan, included installing new screenings and grit removal facilities, demolishing an existing influent pump station and installing a new pump station, and making other improvements, according to a staff report.—
Julie Gallant,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Jan. 2025
Noun
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Distributary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distributary. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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