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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of headwaters
Fed by the Big Thompson River with headwaters high in Rocky Mountain National Park, Boyd Lake currently is at roughly one-third of its capacity.
—
John Meyer, Denver Post, 1 May 2026
Already primed for catastrophe, townspeople’s discovery that developers had quietly targeted Acton for multiple battery projects stoked fears of industrial blight, fire and contamination of residential water wells and the nearby headwaters of Southern California’s last free-flowing river.
—Bloomberg, Oc Register, 23 Apr. 2026
That’s the headwaters of the swamp.
—ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
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
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 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
John Meyer, Denver Post, 1 May 2026
Already primed for catastrophe, townspeople’s discovery that developers had quietly targeted Acton for multiple battery projects stoked fears of industrial blight, fire and contamination of residential water wells and the nearby headwaters of Southern California’s last free-flowing river.
—Bloomberg, Oc Register, 23 Apr. 2026
That’s the headwaters of the swamp.
—ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
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
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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headwaters
Noun
-
The dirt-only diamond was loamy and soft and home plate was totally submerged in a muddy puddle, a tributary of which also snaked down the third-base line.—
Chang-rae Lee,
New Yorker,
3 May 2026
-
The simple gym room is equipped with an elliptical, a couple treadmills, and weight-lifting systems, all with views of a glistening tributary of the Cubango River that flows through the property.—
Samantha Falewée,
Travel + Leisure,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
At least three rounds were fired, sources said.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
2 May 2026
-
The science of acoustic fire suppression, which has long been known and documented in scientific literature and the press, works by vibrating oxygen molecules away from a fuel source, depriving the fire of a critical component needed for combustion.—
Cyrus Farivar,
ArsTechnica,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Headwaters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headwaters. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
