as in headwaters
a stream that flows into a larger body of water
the Amazon and its more than 1,000 known tributaries form the world's largest drainage basin
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tributaries
The property features over a mile of frontage along Fall River and controls two of the river’s primary spring-fed tributaries — Spring Creek and Lava Creek, according to Hall and Hall.
—
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
23 June 2026
For more precise information, Three Rivers Waterkeeper, a nonprofit that helps protect and restore the water quality of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers and their surrounding watersheds, samples the rivers and tributaries weekly each summer as part of its Swim Guide program.
—
Daniel Bain,
The Conversation,
22 June 2026
That compact was adopted in 1943 by Colorado, the headwaters of the Republican and several tributaries, and Nebraska and Kansas, the two down-river states.
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Allen Best,
Denver Post,
14 June 2026
The water, too, was wild—the Allegheny and its tributaries had yet to be dammed, and Flag Swamp was noted as one of the last hideouts for beavers in the state.
—
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Nearly 240 million gallons of sewage spilled into the river and its tributaries during eight days after a 72-inch section of the Potomac Interceptor sewer line ruptured in mid-January.
—
Jt Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
1 June 2026
In Lake Michigan, the chief source of drinking water for Chicago and its suburbs, the pellets spread from tributaries and pour out of dozens of sewage treatment plants ringing the lake.
—
Chicago Tribune,
1 June 2026
The road runs alongside the Madeira River — one of the Amazon River’s main tributaries that has suffered from droughts that disrupt cargo transport.
—
ABC News,
27 May 2026
In Belgium, culvert removals in the Anlier forest are reconnecting smaller tributaries that play an important role in local biodiversity.
—
Radina Gigova,
CNN Money,
27 May 2026
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
23 June 2026
For more precise information, Three Rivers Waterkeeper, a nonprofit that helps protect and restore the water quality of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers and their surrounding watersheds, samples the rivers and tributaries weekly each summer as part of its Swim Guide program.
—
Daniel Bain,
The Conversation,
22 June 2026
That compact was adopted in 1943 by Colorado, the headwaters of the Republican and several tributaries, and Nebraska and Kansas, the two down-river states.
—
Allen Best,
Denver Post,
14 June 2026
The water, too, was wild—the Allegheny and its tributaries had yet to be dammed, and Flag Swamp was noted as one of the last hideouts for beavers in the state.
—
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Nearly 240 million gallons of sewage spilled into the river and its tributaries during eight days after a 72-inch section of the Potomac Interceptor sewer line ruptured in mid-January.
—
Jt Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
1 June 2026
In Lake Michigan, the chief source of drinking water for Chicago and its suburbs, the pellets spread from tributaries and pour out of dozens of sewage treatment plants ringing the lake.
—
Chicago Tribune,
1 June 2026
The road runs alongside the Madeira River — one of the Amazon River’s main tributaries that has suffered from droughts that disrupt cargo transport.
—
ABC News,
27 May 2026
In Belgium, culvert removals in the Anlier forest are reconnecting smaller tributaries that play an important role in local biodiversity.
—
Radina Gigova,
CNN Money,
27 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tributaries
Noun
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While the river’s headwaters are near Salem, most of the outfitters are located in Steelville.
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That compact was adopted in 1943 by Colorado, the headwaters of the Republican and several tributaries, and Nebraska and Kansas, the two down-river states.
Noun
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Photos also showed the bees crowding on nearby trees, weighing down on some tree limbs and branches.
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Prune indeterminate tomatoes by removing the suckers, the small shoots between the main stem and side branches.
Noun
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On that note, the ACRC survey reported that 52% of affluents were disappointed with the options presented by luxury brands.
Noun
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Be sure to follow any instructions for how to properly clean your feeders.
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Plus, squirrel feeders help keep the critters off your bird feeders.
Noun
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Nvidia is aiming to raise at least $20 billion in debt, according to sources with knowledge of the matter, in the chipmaker’s first bond sale since the start of the AI boom.
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Scientists have discovered a new way to control quantum light sources by twisting atomically thin layers of a material known as hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), a breakthrough that could help bring quantum technologies closer to practical use.
Cite this Entry
“Tributaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tributaries. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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