river

noun

Definition of rivernext
1
as in canal
a passageway for water A fallen tree branch was floating down the river.

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2
as in stream
an overwhelming flow or rush of something Jet streams can be thought of as giant rivers of air that circulate around the globe. He was overwhelmed by the river of new information that the document dump provided.

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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 river Even Affection had a symbolic shot at the end involving a river. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026 Music, which has been the constant all-consuming river of his life, swells him into an adventure that will change him forever. — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026 Videos posted online that appeared to be from the accident scene showed people gathered by a river as rescuers attempted to reach the area. — ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026 In terms of rainfall, over 1 inch of rain is possible, with periods of heavy rain that may cause flash flooding and rises in rivers, creeks, and streams. — Jonathan Myers, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for river
Recent Examples of Synonyms for river
  1. canal
  2. stream
  3. waterway
  4. flood
  5. rivulet
  6. tide
Noun
  • The combined sewage-overflow tanks that are supposed to divert sewage from running into the canal won’t be complete until 2029 — a seven-year delay that might require parts of the canal to be re-dredged again to remove the contamination.
    — Kim Velsey, Curbed, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The mother of a Miami-Dade teacher who mysteriously vanished and was later found in a canal walked into a courtroom on Friday, seeking an end to the years-long court proceedings.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of canal
Noun
  • Serhant’s decision follows a wave of high-profile figures opting to license their images to AI companies, allowing for new forms of content featuring their likeness while potentially creating a new revenue stream for those who opt in.
    — Corbin Bolies, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Fox did live-stream the rally online, but for the president, not getting attention on the flagship channel is undoubtedly a slight.
    — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of stream
Noun
  • The Budhi Gandaki flows into the Trishuli River and is a key waterway near Kathmandu, the capital.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Iran is stepping up attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and Persian Gulf in an effort to restore its leverage over the critical waterway.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of waterway
Noun
  • The weather service issued flood watches through Monday afternoon for a large swath of Utah, southeast Idaho, and northern and central Arizona, including the Grand Canyon.
    — JAIMIE DING, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Those EVs will have to compete not only with longtime sales leader Tesla, but also with the flood of Chinese EVs that, sooner or later, will land in the US.
    — John Voelcker, The Verge, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of flood
Noun
  • Madly sentient guts spill from the sitter’s back in swollen rivulets.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 15 July 2026
  • Our beach quickly turned into a morass of clay, cut through by dozens of fast-flowing rivulets.
    — John Todd, Outdoor Life, 9 July 2026
Definition of rivulet
Noun
  • The waves produce relatively small changes in sea level that are measured by tide gauges along the coast and from satellites.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • In addition, king tides will be returning to South Florida, leading to the potential for minor coastal flooding.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of tide

Phrases Containing river

Browse Nearby Words

riven
river
riverbank
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Cite this Entry

“River.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/river. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on river

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about river

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