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
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Recent Examples of rivers
And more than 60 million Americans rely on drinking water from rivers and aquifers whose sources are within national forests.
—
Ryan Gellert, Time, 9 Sep. 2025
That’s because higher sea levels can creep up into drains designed to send water into rivers and the bay, sending water bubbling back out into the street rather than away from it.
—Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2025
India’s rivers have always served as a lifeblood for the country.
—Bailey Berg, AFAR Media, 9 Sep. 2025
Facing physical puzzles along the way, each episode sees the teams navigate varied landscapes, from narrow city streets to rivers and countryside meadows.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2025
Many are cleverly connected to a spaghetti-like network of lazy rivers so guests can glide on a tube from the exit of one slide and float towards the next.
—Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Millions of years ago, the region supported an arid climate with shallow, slow-moving rivers and large pools of standing water.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 8 Sep. 2025
The advisories and closures popped up across the East Coast, from Florida to Maine, along inland streams and rivers, and were present throughout the California coast.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
Warmer temperatures increase evaporation, drying out rivers, reservoirs, soil and vegetation, and speeding up Earth’s water cycle as more water goes back into the air for precipitation.
—John Leos, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Ryan Gellert, Time, 9 Sep. 2025
That’s because higher sea levels can creep up into drains designed to send water into rivers and the bay, sending water bubbling back out into the street rather than away from it.
—Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2025
India’s rivers have always served as a lifeblood for the country.
—Bailey Berg, AFAR Media, 9 Sep. 2025
Facing physical puzzles along the way, each episode sees the teams navigate varied landscapes, from narrow city streets to rivers and countryside meadows.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2025
Many are cleverly connected to a spaghetti-like network of lazy rivers so guests can glide on a tube from the exit of one slide and float towards the next.
—Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Millions of years ago, the region supported an arid climate with shallow, slow-moving rivers and large pools of standing water.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 8 Sep. 2025
The advisories and closures popped up across the East Coast, from Florida to Maine, along inland streams and rivers, and were present throughout the California coast.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
Warmer temperatures increase evaporation, drying out rivers, reservoirs, soil and vegetation, and speeding up Earth’s water cycle as more water goes back into the air for precipitation.
—John Leos, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rivers
Noun
-
More recently, from 2013 to 2014, Gardin documented the destructive transit of cruise ships through Venice’s delicate canals—a grotesque symbol for the domination of the city, and the country, by tourism and big business.—
Max Norman,
New Yorker,
6 Sep. 2025
-
From the tulip fields to the canals of Amsterdam, the Netherlands is home to a wide variety of beautiful attractions.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
At a hearing in late July, the Texas House and Senate Committees heard that 137 people had died as a result of the floods, with two people still missing.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
-
After spending months in a FEMA trailer following devastating floods last winter, Caudill moved into a low-income apartment in a hollow outside of town with his partner, Cassie Collins, 31, a waitress who is recovering from substance abuse.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The waterways that have earned the city the nickname Venice of America.—
Michael Butler,
Miami Herald,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Then, as the orange sun dips lower, leaders drive small groups off to different ponds and waterways around the preserve.—
Sophie Hartley,
IndyStar,
9 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 11 Sep. 2025.
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