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
In recent years, high-elevation residents have been detected near Donner Lake and the headwaters of the American River's north fork.
—
Brandon Downs, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026
The headwaters of the South Platte are located in the mountains of Park County near Fairplay.
—John Meyer, Denver Post, 24 Feb. 2026
As of Monday, the snow-water equivalent — the amount of water stored in the snow on the ground — sits at 60 percent of median for the upper Colorado River headwaters and 69 percent for the wider upper Colorado, the part of the basin above Lees Ferry in northern Arizona.
—Shaun McKinnon, AZCentral.com, 23 Feb. 2026
That snowpack forms the headwaters of rivers including the Colorado, the Rio Grande, and the Arkansas.
—Rebecca Boyle, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2026
Previous spills in Flint River The headwaters of the Flint River, which flows south all the way to Florida, begin from seepage around the area of the Atlanta airport, meaning any contaminants from that area can reach the river more easily.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 6 Feb. 2026
Because of the mine’s location — at the headwaters of the BWCA — any potential pollution or acid mine drainage would likely flow into the wilderness area, Voyageurs National Park, and Canada’s Quetico Provincial Park.
—Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 15 Jan. 2026
The 22-mile lake on the Kenai Peninsula is the headwaters of the Kenai River, a waterway known for trout and salmon fishing.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 13 Jan. 2026
At 16, the Hoopa Valley tribal member was about to kayak more than 300 miles down the Klamath River from its headwaters in southern Oregon.
—The Editors, Outside, 15 Dec. 2025
Brandon Downs, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026
The headwaters of the South Platte are located in the mountains of Park County near Fairplay.
—John Meyer, Denver Post, 24 Feb. 2026
As of Monday, the snow-water equivalent — the amount of water stored in the snow on the ground — sits at 60 percent of median for the upper Colorado River headwaters and 69 percent for the wider upper Colorado, the part of the basin above Lees Ferry in northern Arizona.
—Shaun McKinnon, AZCentral.com, 23 Feb. 2026
That snowpack forms the headwaters of rivers including the Colorado, the Rio Grande, and the Arkansas.
—Rebecca Boyle, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2026
Previous spills in Flint River The headwaters of the Flint River, which flows south all the way to Florida, begin from seepage around the area of the Atlanta airport, meaning any contaminants from that area can reach the river more easily.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 6 Feb. 2026
Because of the mine’s location — at the headwaters of the BWCA — any potential pollution or acid mine drainage would likely flow into the wilderness area, Voyageurs National Park, and Canada’s Quetico Provincial Park.
—Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 15 Jan. 2026
The 22-mile lake on the Kenai Peninsula is the headwaters of the Kenai River, a waterway known for trout and salmon fishing.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 13 Jan. 2026
At 16, the Hoopa Valley tribal member was about to kayak more than 300 miles down the Klamath River from its headwaters in southern Oregon.
—The Editors, Outside, 15 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headwaters
Noun
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Multiple agencies are working to contain a fuel spill in a tributary that feeds the Woodbury Creek after a utility truck crashed on Route 295 in West Deptford, New Jersey, Wednesday morning.—
Alexandra Simon,
CBS News,
25 Feb. 2026
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The park is about 60 miles east of Rapid City, and South Dakota Route 44 is a scenic road through open prairie, farms, small towns, and ranches along Rapid Creek, a tributary of the Cheyenne River.—
Patricia Doherty,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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An Israeli source confirmed Khamenei's death to USA TODAY.—
Anthony Shoemaker,
The Columbus Dispatch,
1 Mar. 2026
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Newsweek partners with Statista to analyze four types of data sources to select and rank the best hospitals in 32 countries with comparable data.—
Mark Mondier,
Arkansas Online,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Headwaters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headwaters. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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