as in creek
a natural body of running water smaller than a river
the fugitive made use of local runnels to throw the bloodhounds off his scent
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of runnel
Water fun will be a big draw, whether observing the natural pond-like runnel feature or the chutes of tumbling water and inch-deep pools safe to play in.
—
Dallas News, 15 Apr. 2022
Designed by Louis Kahn for Jonas Salk, who created the polio vaccine, the complex sits on a shelf above the Pacific, a symmetrical white piazza flanked by buildings that are angled like a theater’s wings and bisected by a narrow runnel.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 15 Mar. 2021
In summer, runoff from cloudbursts etches into the softer limestones and sluices through the deep runnels.
—National Geographic, 19 Aug. 2019
The road ran like a twisty runnel through fuchsia hedges and bright fields of buttercups and cow parsley, up to a pass among the 3,000-foot Slieve Mish mountains.
—New York Times, 12 Aug. 2019
Dallas News, 15 Apr. 2022
Designed by Louis Kahn for Jonas Salk, who created the polio vaccine, the complex sits on a shelf above the Pacific, a symmetrical white piazza flanked by buildings that are angled like a theater’s wings and bisected by a narrow runnel.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 15 Mar. 2021
In summer, runoff from cloudbursts etches into the softer limestones and sluices through the deep runnels.
—National Geographic, 19 Aug. 2019
The road ran like a twisty runnel through fuchsia hedges and bright fields of buttercups and cow parsley, up to a pass among the 3,000-foot Slieve Mish mountains.
—New York Times, 12 Aug. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for runnel
Noun
-
Zipping through old-growth spruce forests and even across frozen creeks on snowmobiles.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The roughly $16 million effort aims to reduce incidents where heavy rain causes raw sewage — including fecal matter — to overflow into local creeks and streams.—
Sofi Zeman,
Kansas City Star,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Insects drone over running brooks.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Close to Mount Snow, the property includes trails, a brook, fruit trees, and a swimming hole.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Runnel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/runnel. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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