as in tributary
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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Recent Examples of headwaters
The Russell-Brasstown Scenic Byway is a looped route, one that meanders through the Chattahoochee National Forest and encircles the headwaters of the Chattahoochee River.
—
Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 4 Oct. 2025
The mine would restrict access to its tribal members, on top of creating heightened risks of mine runoff entering into the headwaters and decreasing dwindling fish populations, according to the lawsuit.
—Kevin Fixler
september 20, Idaho Statesman, 20 Sep. 2025
It could be said that more people have stood atop the headwaters of the Flint River than that of any other one on earth.
—David Hanson, Southern Living, 13 Sep. 2025
Enjoy hiking trails with scenic overlooks and opportunities for paddling ⛵ and fishing near the river’s headwaters.
—Melissa Oyler, Charlotte Observer, 5 Sep. 2025
Ashia Wilson, a member of the Klamath Tribes who lives at the river’s headwaters, said that the week before the paddlers reached the mouth Upper Klamath Lake, the home to the endemic c’waam and koptu fish, is now too toxic to touch.
—Debra Utacia Krol, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2025
The heaviest rain is expected to occur across the headwaters of Peters Creek and Cache Creek.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
The 2025 runoff season in the Rocky Mountains, the Colorado's headwaters, is shaping up to be the seventh-driest since 1963, when the government built Glen Canyon Dam and formed Lake Powell.
—Austin Corona, AZCentral.com, 15 Aug. 2025
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
Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 4 Oct. 2025
The mine would restrict access to its tribal members, on top of creating heightened risks of mine runoff entering into the headwaters and decreasing dwindling fish populations, according to the lawsuit.
—Kevin Fixler
september 20, Idaho Statesman, 20 Sep. 2025
It could be said that more people have stood atop the headwaters of the Flint River than that of any other one on earth.
—David Hanson, Southern Living, 13 Sep. 2025
Enjoy hiking trails with scenic overlooks and opportunities for paddling ⛵ and fishing near the river’s headwaters.
—Melissa Oyler, Charlotte Observer, 5 Sep. 2025
Ashia Wilson, a member of the Klamath Tribes who lives at the river’s headwaters, said that the week before the paddlers reached the mouth Upper Klamath Lake, the home to the endemic c’waam and koptu fish, is now too toxic to touch.
—Debra Utacia Krol, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2025
The heaviest rain is expected to occur across the headwaters of Peters Creek and Cache Creek.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
The 2025 runoff season in the Rocky Mountains, the Colorado's headwaters, is shaping up to be the seventh-driest since 1963, when the government built Glen Canyon Dam and formed Lake Powell.
—Austin Corona, AZCentral.com, 15 Aug. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headwaters
Noun
-
Once the jaguar is secure on the floatation device, the rescue vessel carries the exhausted predator along the river — one of the largest tributaries of the Amazon — towards land.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Don’t miss the Côa Museum, one of the country’s largest, perched at the mouth of the Côa River, a tributary of the Douro.—
Anna Mazurek,
AFAR Media,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Some workers, whose programs have alternative funding sources, continue to be paid on time.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Add PCMag as a preferred source on Google.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Headwaters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headwaters. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.
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