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
After hatching in 2000, 1018 was brought to Florida and released alongside seven others in 2001 near headwaters to the Everglades.
—
Natalia Jaramillo, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2025
As bodies of water, rivers already have headwaters, mouths and arms.
—Valorie Castellanos Clark, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025
The utility’s leaders defend the project and say the utility has spent $30 million across dozens of projects to offset the environmental impacts of the reservoir expansion, including stream restoration on the headwaters of the Colorado River.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 16 Apr. 2025
Its main stem flows 2,350 miles from the headwaters at Lake Itasca in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico, touching 10 states and spreading out into many more with its tributaries.
—Amy Graff, New York Times, 3 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for headwater
Natalia Jaramillo, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2025
As bodies of water, rivers already have headwaters, mouths and arms.
—Valorie Castellanos Clark, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025
The utility’s leaders defend the project and say the utility has spent $30 million across dozens of projects to offset the environmental impacts of the reservoir expansion, including stream restoration on the headwaters of the Colorado River.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 16 Apr. 2025
Its main stem flows 2,350 miles from the headwaters at Lake Itasca in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico, touching 10 states and spreading out into many more with its tributaries.
—Amy Graff, New York Times, 3 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for headwater
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headwater
Noun
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Unlike flooding, other techniques (for example drip irrigation) do not cause water to overflow the field and runoff into a tributary, where the nutrient pollution enters the wider aqueous ecosystem.—
Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
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White water rafting, kayaking and canoeing: The Trinity River, a 203-mile tributary of the Klamath River, starts in the Trinity Alps and features calm waters and multiple classes of white water.—
Jaclyn Cosgrove,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2025
Noun
-
At this point, the aircraft have no additional orders, sources said.—
Katherine Faulders,
ABC News,
21 June 2025
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Lam aims to meet Trump to help finalize an agreement, the sources said, asking not to be identified as the trip isn't finalized yet.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Headwater.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headwater. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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