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
From its headwaters high in the Oakland Hills throught the city's Fruitvale District to where the waters eventually empty into the Oakland Estuary and San Francisco Bay, Sausal Creek is a historic treasure.
—
Molly McCrea, CBS News, 8 May 2026
Outdoor enthusiasts can explore miles of scenic trails at Lake Bemidji State Park, fish in pristine waters, or wade through the headwaters of the Mississippi River at Itasca State Park (40 miles southwest).
—Katy Spratte Joyce, Midwest Living, 7 May 2026
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
Molly McCrea, CBS News, 8 May 2026
Outdoor enthusiasts can explore miles of scenic trails at Lake Bemidji State Park, fish in pristine waters, or wade through the headwaters of the Mississippi River at Itasca State Park (40 miles southwest).
—Katy Spratte Joyce, Midwest Living, 7 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headwaters
Noun
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With very few exceptions, an end was declared, not only to empires, but also to city-states, duchies, principalities, emirates, sultanates, caliphates, khanates, agencies, princely states, colonies, suzerains, dependencies, mandates, tributaries, condominia and protectorates.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
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The company operates 17 hydropower facilities on the Snake River and its tributaries, and also buys hydropower seasonally from 68 small-scale projects across its service area, according to Bowlin.—
Angela Palermo
May 7,
Idaho Statesman,
7 May 2026
Noun
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The four-time NFL MVP agreed to a one-year contract worth $22 million guaranteed with the Steelers on Saturday, a source confirmed.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
17 May 2026
-
The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.—
Chadd Cripe,
Idaho Statesman,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Headwaters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headwaters. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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