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
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
The Flint River — whose headwaters begin in East Point as a small stream — flows through pipes under the airport and emerges as a larger stream on the south side of the airfield.
—Nick Caloway, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
Record-low snowpack in the Colorado River headwaters in central and northern Colorado suggests nature is unlikely to give negotiators breathing room.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 15 Jan. 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
That’s true of everyone from headwaters to delta, farm to city.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025
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
The Flint River — whose headwaters begin in East Point as a small stream — flows through pipes under the airport and emerges as a larger stream on the south side of the airfield.
—Nick Caloway, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
Record-low snowpack in the Colorado River headwaters in central and northern Colorado suggests nature is unlikely to give negotiators breathing room.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 15 Jan. 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
That’s true of everyone from headwaters to delta, farm to city.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headwaters
Noun
-
This one brought us to Rocamadour, a magnificent medieval town in Occitania, set on a cliffside above a tributary of the Dordogne River.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The Winneshiek County dairy with about 330 head of dairy cattle has been cited for two previous fish kill incidents, where manure leaked from the operation into a tributary of Dry Run Creek.—
Cami Koons,
Iowa Capital Dispatch,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
With thousands of families afraid to leave their homes and with no source of income, mutual aid networks, large and small, ramped up to offer everything from food delivery to rent assistance to laundry service.—
Nick Woltman,
Twin Cities,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Two sources who attended the party described witnessing a loud verbal exchange between Nick Reiner and his parents.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Headwaters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headwaters. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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