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 landscape opens up and passengers catch glimpses of the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers converging to form the Ohio River.
—
Abby Price, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2026
Railroads were the eventual alternatives for extending shipments far from navigable rivers.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 1 Feb. 2026
Flooding will extend inland from the waterfront along tidal rivers and bays resulting in some road closures and flooding of vehicles.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2026
While the Allegheny River is currently closed to boats and barges from mile marker 1 up to mile marker 72 until March 1, both the Monongahela and the Ohio rivers remain open.
—Christopher Derose, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2026
Renewable energy creates local energy-infrastructure jobs and is fueled by free in-state sunshine, wind, and rivers.
—Anshul Gupta, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
When the snow melts, the rivers come alive.
—Jen Murphy, Outside, 7 Jan. 2026
The mountain snowpack functions as nature’s water bank, gradually melting to feed rivers and reservoirs through the dry months.
—Chaewon Chung
updated January 6, Sacbee.com, 6 Jan. 2026
But what about unequivocally good things, like trees or rivers?
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
Abby Price, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2026
Railroads were the eventual alternatives for extending shipments far from navigable rivers.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 1 Feb. 2026
Flooding will extend inland from the waterfront along tidal rivers and bays resulting in some road closures and flooding of vehicles.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2026
While the Allegheny River is currently closed to boats and barges from mile marker 1 up to mile marker 72 until March 1, both the Monongahela and the Ohio rivers remain open.
—Christopher Derose, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2026
Renewable energy creates local energy-infrastructure jobs and is fueled by free in-state sunshine, wind, and rivers.
—Anshul Gupta, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
When the snow melts, the rivers come alive.
—Jen Murphy, Outside, 7 Jan. 2026
The mountain snowpack functions as nature’s water bank, gradually melting to feed rivers and reservoirs through the dry months.
—Chaewon Chung
updated January 6, Sacbee.com, 6 Jan. 2026
But what about unequivocally good things, like trees or rivers?
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rivers
Noun
-
Delhi was designed around its banks in the 17th century, when the river fed the canals that cooled royal palaces.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
1 Feb. 2026
-
After the canals were finished, many settled in Mexicali and started restaurants and other small businesses in La Chinesca (Chinatown).—
Joe Yogerst,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Marketing for top sports books like DraftKings and FanDuel floods the airwaves and casts a giant net for customers that critics say has lured in high schoolers and younger college students alongside those legally allowed to bet.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
4 Feb. 2026
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And fire ants use their waxy, water-repellent coating and textured exoskeletons to trap air; during floods, thousands cling together to make buoyant, living rafts that can survive 12 days and possibly longer.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The tree’s seeds are spread by their floating fruit, according to Mattus, which can make their way down waterways.—
Jennifer Lobb,
Martha Stewart,
30 Jan. 2026
-
In the past, iguanas have been seen falling out of trees, and alligators appeared motionless in frozen waterways.—
Dan Peck,
ABC News,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The expanse of a cookie, its crumbly craters and molten rivulets, is a playground for the pastry chef.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
4 Dec. 2025
-
Several rivulets flowed lazily through the debris.—
Daniel A. Gross,
New Yorker,
27 Aug. 2025
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 8 Feb. 2026.
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