as in tributary
usually headwaters plural
the beginning part of a stream
the first exploration of the Missouri River from its mouth to its headwaters was made by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark in the early 1800s
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of headwater
Much of the water near the headwaters, however, is diverted under the Continental Divide to Front Range communities.
—
Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 15 Aug. 2025
The storm hit at the headwaters of the Guadalupe River, over streams that converge in the river valley.
—Jeffrey Basara, The Conversation, 24 July 2025
The headwaters originate near 151st Street and Antioch Road in Overland Park and flows east for 4 miles through Leawood, ending at the Blue River in Missouri.
—Kansas City Star, 21 July 2025
The drilling is being done at what’s known as the Bend Copper-Gold Deposit at the headwaters of the Chippewa River, according to the DNR.
—Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for headwater
Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 15 Aug. 2025
The storm hit at the headwaters of the Guadalupe River, over streams that converge in the river valley.
—Jeffrey Basara, The Conversation, 24 July 2025
The headwaters originate near 151st Street and Antioch Road in Overland Park and flows east for 4 miles through Leawood, ending at the Blue River in Missouri.
—Kansas City Star, 21 July 2025
The drilling is being done at what’s known as the Bend Copper-Gold Deposit at the headwaters of the Chippewa River, according to the DNR.
—Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for headwater
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headwater
Noun
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In March 2019, Clover Flat Land Fill spilled 40,000 gallons of leachate into nearby streams, which are tributaries of the Napa River, Haley said in a news release.—
Bay City News,
Mercury News,
13 Sep. 2025
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Potamopyrgus antipodarum, or New Zealand mudsnails, were found at two tributaries of the Monongahela River in Allegheny County, Peters Creek and Turtle Creek, according to the report.—
Jennifer Rodriguez,
Kansas City Star,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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That's part of the 'framework' agreement for TikTok, which will also include new and existing investors in its Chinese parent company ByteDance, sources told CNBC's David Faber.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
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As demand for electricity surged to power more electric devices in homes and Big Tech's boom in data centers, renewable energy has been the go-to source for the cheapest, fastest way to generate more juice.—
Jeff Young,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Headwater.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headwater. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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