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tributaries

noun

plural of tributary
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tributaries Broad rivers formed by the gentle joining of their tributaries, too numerous to count. — Supriya Lopez Pillai, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026 Together, the fish passages have opened up more than 60 miles of river and tributaries and roughly 2,400 acres of wetland habitat for migratory fish. — Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 9 Sep. 2026 The annual underwater grass survey is carried out by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), which maps submerged aquatic vegetation, or SAV, throughout the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries. — Michelle Richardson, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026 The ranchers depend on snowmelt that feeds the Colorado River and its tributaries to nourish grasses and hay pastures for their herds. — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026 That allowed sea water to infiltrate freshwater tributaries across the peninsula, especially in lagoons and deltas where clam and mussel farms provided ample prey. — ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026 In Michigan, the only state entirely within the watershed, officials are testing 200 tributaries for microplastics. — Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026 When large streams are elongated, more of the shorter tributaries can share those major channels, and this reduces the overall transport cost. — Natalie Wolchover, Quanta Magazine, 10 Aug. 2026 Chesapeake Bay tributaries are important spawning areas, producing between 70% and 90% of the coastwide population of striped bass. — Ken Perrotte, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tributaries
  1. headwaters
  2. branches
  3. affluents
  4. feeders
  5. sources
Noun
  • According to the post, Kentucky State Police Aviation saw smoke in the area, and wardens and search and rescue personnel were able to access the location, near the headwaters of Cave Run Lake, using a boat.
    — Caroline Neal, Louisville Courier Journal, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Others, like salmon, return upstream via Metro-North or the Long Island Rail Road to the suburban headwaters in which they were born, in order to spawn.
    — Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of headwaters
Noun
  • The tree still stood, waiting, but no one visited, no one entered the world under her strong branches, her rustling leaves.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Delays have occurred across all branches of the military, but the longest are at Air National Guard bases, which on average are set to hit cleanup milestones more than 30 years later than originally promised.
    — Austin Fast, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of branches
Noun
  • On that note, the ACRC survey reported that 52% of affluents were disappointed with the options presented by luxury brands.
    — Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Definition of affluents
Noun
  • Viewers will finally see which houseguest didn't survive, though it's been known to live feeders since Saturday night.
    — Christopher Kuhagen, jsonline.com, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The Asian tiger mosquitoes, also day feeders, found elevated ketones and plant-like volatile compounds irresistible.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of feeders
Noun
  • Club sources, speaking anonymously to protect relationships, say his influence has grown in the aftermath of those departures.
    — Paul Taylor, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Production outside the Middle East ramped up Another significant adjustment during the Iran war was the ramp-up in oil production from unexpected sources.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of sources

Browse Nearby Words

tribunes
tributaries
tributary
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Cite this Entry

“Tributaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tributaries. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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