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
Now, Hall and Hall is marketing the 1,500-acre Spring Creek Ranch, a marquee holding at the headwaters of the renowned Fall River.
—
David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 3 Apr. 2026
North Park — about 100 miles (161 kilometers) from the South Park valley that inspired the cartoon TV show — is a headwaters of the eastward-flowing Platte River system.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
The stream flows north 17 miles from its headwaters just south of Ray Lake Forest Preserve, near Wauconda, through Long Lake and then into Fox Lake.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
The headwaters of the Colorado River are among the nation's driest places.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026
The report’s map showed the browns and yellows of persisting and developing drought across the entire Upper Colorado River Basin except in the Green River headwaters of Wyoming.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 20 Mar. 2026
The area includes headwaters for the South Platte River, a source of drinking and agricultural irrigation water.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 18 Mar. 2026
The northernmost headwaters of the Florida Everglades, Shingle Creek flows from the city into nearby Lake Tohopekaliga, eventually reaching the Everglades.
—Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 11 Mar. 2026
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
David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 3 Apr. 2026
North Park — about 100 miles (161 kilometers) from the South Park valley that inspired the cartoon TV show — is a headwaters of the eastward-flowing Platte River system.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
The stream flows north 17 miles from its headwaters just south of Ray Lake Forest Preserve, near Wauconda, through Long Lake and then into Fox Lake.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
The headwaters of the Colorado River are among the nation's driest places.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026
The report’s map showed the browns and yellows of persisting and developing drought across the entire Upper Colorado River Basin except in the Green River headwaters of Wyoming.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 20 Mar. 2026
The area includes headwaters for the South Platte River, a source of drinking and agricultural irrigation water.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 18 Mar. 2026
The northernmost headwaters of the Florida Everglades, Shingle Creek flows from the city into nearby Lake Tohopekaliga, eventually reaching the Everglades.
—Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 11 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headwaters
Noun
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Vast stretches of suburban concrete block its natural drainage, and thousands of homes have been built along its winding, sluggish tributaries.—
Dominic Boyer,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Khartoum, a metropolis of 7 million, sits at the confluence of tributaries, a sort of Pittsburgh-on-the-Nile.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The draft footprint itself, including both sides of the Allegheny River, can only hold a little more than a football stadium, the source said, roughly 80,00 to 90,000 people.—
Ricky Sayer,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Ahead of its release, Humberstone sat down with PEOPLE to discuss her source of inspiration.—
Daniela Avila,
PEOPLE,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Headwaters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headwaters. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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