as in creeks
a natural body of running water smaller than a river
small rivulets trickled down the side of the cliff
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of rivulets
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
Perhaps those latent rivulets reside in machines.
—Thomas Moynihan, Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
In some places, the rivulets had merged to form streams that had to be jumped across.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024
Nestled amid the rugged desert mountains of the state of Oaxaca stand two sheer cliffs that seem to melt, in yellow rivulets, into the valley below.
—Kyle Valenta, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 July 2021
Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 4 Dec. 2025
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
In some places, the rivulets had merged to form streams that had to be jumped across.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024
Nestled amid the rugged desert mountains of the state of Oaxaca stand two sheer cliffs that seem to melt, in yellow rivulets, into the valley below.
—Kyle Valenta, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 July 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rivulets
Noun
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Their effort has exposed tensions between people who see the waterways as natural creeks and county officials who see them as flood channels.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Mar. 2026
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Slow‑moving thunderstorms can dump large amounts of rainfall over the same area repeatedly, overwhelming creeks, rivers, and drainage systems.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The property, which features lush greenery and old-growth trees set among babbling brooks and water features, is open to the public, and the gardens have served as a popular spot for weddings over the decades in addition to an annual Mother’s Day tea that Weston said attracts hundreds each year.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Sep. 2025
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Many of these parcels have elements like oak woodlands, meadows, brooks and rivers that create cooler, wetter areas that help plants and animals endure wildfires or periods of extreme heat or drought.—
Beth Rose Middleton Manning,
The Conversation,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rivulets.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rivulets. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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