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 82-mile loop travels along lava fields, forests, rivers, waterfalls, and displays mountain views of six Cascade peaks.
—
Abby Price, Travel + Leisure, 7 Oct. 2025
Bridge-building first emerged in ancient civilizations like Egypt, Mesopotamia, and India, where early engineers used logs and planks to create simple crossings over rivers and streams.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2025
The road would also cross 11 rivers and thousands of streams before reaching the site of a future mine.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2025
During times of heavy rain, rivers and streams can rise quickly.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
And in the center of the city, where the overflowing rivers are predicted to merge, Thomas Orthopedic Hospital could be besieged by more than 10 feet of water on three sides.
—CNN Money, 5 Oct. 2025
Don’t swallow water while swimming in lakes, rivers, or pools.
—Brandi Jones, Health, 5 Oct. 2025
Excess phosphorus and nitrogen from the widespread use of fertilizers flows into rivers and seas to spark toxic algal blooms.
—Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 3 Oct. 2025
The family travelled north from Central America for weeks, crossing rivers by night and riding concealed in smugglers’ trucks.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Abby Price, Travel + Leisure, 7 Oct. 2025
Bridge-building first emerged in ancient civilizations like Egypt, Mesopotamia, and India, where early engineers used logs and planks to create simple crossings over rivers and streams.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2025
The road would also cross 11 rivers and thousands of streams before reaching the site of a future mine.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2025
During times of heavy rain, rivers and streams can rise quickly.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
And in the center of the city, where the overflowing rivers are predicted to merge, Thomas Orthopedic Hospital could be besieged by more than 10 feet of water on three sides.
—CNN Money, 5 Oct. 2025
Don’t swallow water while swimming in lakes, rivers, or pools.
—Brandi Jones, Health, 5 Oct. 2025
Excess phosphorus and nitrogen from the widespread use of fertilizers flows into rivers and seas to spark toxic algal blooms.
—Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 3 Oct. 2025
The family travelled north from Central America for weeks, crossing rivers by night and riding concealed in smugglers’ trucks.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rivers
Noun
-
Resident parrots, monkeys, and sea turtles delight guests, while the beach, multiple swimming pools, and a series of freshwater canals, traversable by boat, provide non-stop activity options.—
Allison Tibaldi,
USA Today,
27 Sep. 2025
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Iconic sites like Venice’s canals, Florence’s art galleries, Rome’s historic landmarks, and the Amalfi Coast's picturesque towns—like Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello—become easily accessible.—
Andrea Grisdale,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The organization focuses on the big disasters that often grip the headlines, such as wildfires, floods, and hurricanes – but also offers information about preparing for winter storms, tsunamis, tornados, lightning, hail and extreme heat.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
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When heavy rain occurs, there is a potential for flooding, particularly in areas that are low-lying or prone to floods.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
These include autonomous inspections in areas too dangerous for humans, like under spans or over waterways.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Oct. 2025
-
The report card also showed 55,000 gallons of sewage this past year, with close to 15,000 gallons of that flowing into Marin County waterways.—
Adrian Rodriguez,
Mercury News,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Several rivulets flowed lazily through the debris.—
Daniel A. Gross,
New Yorker,
27 Aug. 2025
-
Perhaps those latent rivulets reside in machines.—
Thomas Moynihan,
Big Think,
20 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rivers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rivers. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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