1
as in streams
a passageway for water
A fallen tree branch was floating down the river.
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2
as in floods
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
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Recent Examples of rivers
The rivers were teeming with crocodiles and fish including freshwater sharks.
—
Reuters, NBC news, 15 May 2026
The park in Arlington features pulse-pounding water slides, relaxing lazy rivers, and family-friendly play areas.
—Natassia Paloma, USA Today, 15 May 2026
Nearly a century ago, with many Americans in the throes of the Great Depression, catfish cabins began popping up along creeks, rivers, and bayous across the center of the rural South, particularly in Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Louisiana.
—Chelsea Brasted, Southern Living, 15 May 2026
There must be a ton of rivers in the Nutmeg State.
—Stephen King, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
The Deschutes is also just one of many Western rivers with a strong salmonfly hatch.
—Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 14 May 2026
This is a Federal Issue due to the amount of resources being utilized, including rivers and aquifers that span multiple states.
—Rachel Royster
may 14, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026
Spending time near rivers and lakes is also a mood-booster.
—Kyla Mandel, Time, 14 May 2026
With one of the nation’s lowest population densities — and most residents living in cities — Idaho boasts plenty of wide-open spaces, an amazing array of geography from huge lakes and raging rivers to snowy peaks and bone-dry deserts.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 8 May 2026
Reuters, NBC news, 15 May 2026
The park in Arlington features pulse-pounding water slides, relaxing lazy rivers, and family-friendly play areas.
—Natassia Paloma, USA Today, 15 May 2026
Nearly a century ago, with many Americans in the throes of the Great Depression, catfish cabins began popping up along creeks, rivers, and bayous across the center of the rural South, particularly in Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Louisiana.
—Chelsea Brasted, Southern Living, 15 May 2026
There must be a ton of rivers in the Nutmeg State.
—Stephen King, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
The Deschutes is also just one of many Western rivers with a strong salmonfly hatch.
—Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 14 May 2026
This is a Federal Issue due to the amount of resources being utilized, including rivers and aquifers that span multiple states.
—Rachel Royster
may 14, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026
Spending time near rivers and lakes is also a mood-booster.
—Kyla Mandel, Time, 14 May 2026
With one of the nation’s lowest population densities — and most residents living in cities — Idaho boasts plenty of wide-open spaces, an amazing array of geography from huge lakes and raging rivers to snowy peaks and bone-dry deserts.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 8 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rivers
Noun
-
It can also be released by cooking fats and oils at high temperatures, and has been found in water produced by oil and gas operations and is an ingredient in some pesticides used in irrigation canals.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
-
In Rotterdam, the design referenced canals and bridges.—
Christine Mortag,
Condé Nast Traveler,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
And Spanish voters are preoccupied with a housing crisis, debates over services for migrants, and the government’s handling of natural disasters, including floods in recent years that left hundreds of people dead.—
Ishaan Tharoor,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
-
Nearly half of American houses predate 1980, before today’s era of megafires, floods, and hurricanes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
But the ships carrying his crucial cargo are trapped 2,000 miles away by Iran’s stranglehold of one of the world’s most important waterways.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
16 May 2026
-
The Tribune has reported on several incidents involving recreational boaters on Lake Michigan and nearby waterways, underscoring the importance of preparedness and safety awareness.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
In this piercing account of the American Dream in tatters, the magnitude of that dimension feels appropriate, echoing the currents of betrayal, fear and death that course through the film like rivulets of blood.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2026
-
But rivulets of sunblock still ran down everyone’s necks.—
Erin Tan,
NBC news,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
At the same time, there are riparian natives — those that grow along watercourses — which may need regular attention in terms of water needs for many years after planting.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rivers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rivers. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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