1
as in canal
a passageway for water
A fallen tree branch was floating down the river.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
The new location will be located across the street from the forthcoming Bally’s Casino, in a 114,000-square-foot commercial building at 700 W. Chicago Avenue, directly on the river (the building used to be owned by the Chicago Tribune).
—
Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 26 June 2025
Flooding in 2005 turned streets into rivers in Grand Island.
—Brandon Miller, CNN Money, 26 June 2025
In other words, the rivers and high points impacted the spread of certain species.
—Margherita Bassi, Popular Science, 26 June 2025
Residents posted video on social media showing streets turned into rivers.
—CBS News, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for river
Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 26 June 2025
Flooding in 2005 turned streets into rivers in Grand Island.
—Brandon Miller, CNN Money, 26 June 2025
In other words, the rivers and high points impacted the spread of certain species.
—Margherita Bassi, Popular Science, 26 June 2025
Residents posted video on social media showing streets turned into rivers.
—CBS News, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for river
Recent Examples of Synonyms for river
Noun
-
During delivery, the newborn’s head became stuck in the vaginal canal in a complicated medical event known as shoulder dystocia, according to Taylor and Ross’ lawsuit against St. Julian and Southern Regional Medical Center.—
Julia Marnin,
Miami Herald,
20 June 2025
-
Then into motorboats for hair-raising dashes through tortuous canals and across rough water to dams far back in some vast marsh.—
Nash Buckingham,
Outdoor Life,
19 June 2025
Noun
-
By consistently providing valuable content, professionals can build a following, attract clients and create multiple income streams.—
Michelle Gines,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
-
Opus streams Friday, July 11 and debuts on linear on Saturday, July 12 at 8:00 p.m. ET.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
18 June 2025
Noun
-
In September 2021, the frigate HMS Richmond—deployed to the western Pacific with an aircraft carrier group—transited the waterway en route to Vietnam after operating in the East China Sea.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
-
Situated between Iran and Oman, the Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway that connects the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea.—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
19 June 2025
Noun
-
During periods of intense rainfall, the risk of flooding increases, particularly in low-lying and flood-prone areas.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
20 June 2025
-
Nothing quite as splashy there, but reps from Max and Lupin maker Gaumont Television France gave their views on some live issues, as boiling hot temperatures gave way to biblical floods in the mountainous locale.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
Younis: The Khan Younis refugee camp is a dense, gray, concrete shantytown, the black waters from sewers running in thin rivulets down the middle of alleys.—
Chris Hedges,
Harpers Magazine,
15 June 2024
-
The body meld transforms into a mind meld near the end, when each woman shoots streams of shiny water from their eyes, with the separate rivulets crashing into each other to form a floating, fiery disco ball heart.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
10 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
But the tide started to change when Florida found themselves in penalty trouble.—
Cameron Priester,
Sun Sentinel,
13 June 2025
-
The end result of all this is…a young girl died in a cave because of the tide.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“River.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/river. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share