as in creeks
a natural body of running water smaller than a river
small rivulets trickled down the side of the cliff
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Recent Examples of rivulets
Even after the leaks were plugged with cement, rivulets of oil persisted for months, and the oil spill’s ecological and cultural impacts lasted even longer.
—
Jeffrey Marlow, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
Hot stones are added, one by one, as the air inside gets heavier, the heat searing the nose and the throat, the sweat starting in rivulets that turn into streams as the smell gets more intense, the heartbeat swells, the mind races.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 5 Mar. 2026
The elaborate network of rainfall, rivulets of ditches, and control structures became a sort of language for Van Lent.
—Michael Adno, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2026
The expanse of a cookie, its crumbly craters and molten rivulets, is a playground for the pastry chef.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 4 Dec. 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
Constant rains feed sparkling rivulets that make the dark basalt bedrock glisten and the sheer green slopes shine.
—Tim Ecott, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 May 2023
Jeffrey Marlow, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
Hot stones are added, one by one, as the air inside gets heavier, the heat searing the nose and the throat, the sweat starting in rivulets that turn into streams as the smell gets more intense, the heartbeat swells, the mind races.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 5 Mar. 2026
The elaborate network of rainfall, rivulets of ditches, and control structures became a sort of language for Van Lent.
—Michael Adno, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2026
The expanse of a cookie, its crumbly craters and molten rivulets, is a playground for the pastry chef.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 4 Dec. 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
Constant rains feed sparkling rivulets that make the dark basalt bedrock glisten and the sheer green slopes shine.
—Tim Ecott, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 May 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rivulets
Noun
-
With the exception of some native cottonwoods lining the creeks flowing eastward out of the foothills, no trees grew here naturally.—
Special to The Denver Post,
Denver Post,
1 May 2026
-
Locally heavy rain will quickly reduce visibility and result in ponding of water on roadways, standing water in low lying areas, and minor flooding of creeks, streams, and areas of poor drainage.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Insects drone over running brooks.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Rivulets.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rivulets. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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