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
Relevance
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
Africa’s largest tank battle since World War II was fought over a bridge at the confluence of the Cuito and Cuanavale Rivers, the Okavango’s two major tributaries in the eastern Angolan Highlands.
—
Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
The falls are also named for this blue-green water, which eventually flows into the Grand Canyon’s Colorado River through side canyons and tributaries.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 15 Jan. 2026
The glaciers of Cayambe, Antisana, and Cotopaxi are the sources of one of those tributaries—the Río Napo.
—Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
To spawn, salmon must swim hundreds or even thousands of miles upstream from the ocean, and in the Columbia River and its many tributaries, their path is obstructed by a massive network of hydroelectric dams.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, or Northern Water, built a shallow reservoir at the confluence of the Colorado and one of its first substantial tributaries, the Fraser, in the 1980s.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025
The commission also built about 50 barriers on tributaries to prevent adult sea lampreys from accessing spawning habitats.
—Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 15 Dec. 2025
The Guadalupe’s tributaries tell further stories.
—Literary Hub, 21 Nov. 2025
In one of the many tributaries of the great Yukon River in Alaska, this couple eked out a precarious living fishing for salmon while hoping to find gold.
—David McWilliams, Fortune, 16 Nov. 2025
Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
The falls are also named for this blue-green water, which eventually flows into the Grand Canyon’s Colorado River through side canyons and tributaries.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 15 Jan. 2026
The glaciers of Cayambe, Antisana, and Cotopaxi are the sources of one of those tributaries—the Río Napo.
—Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
To spawn, salmon must swim hundreds or even thousands of miles upstream from the ocean, and in the Columbia River and its many tributaries, their path is obstructed by a massive network of hydroelectric dams.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, or Northern Water, built a shallow reservoir at the confluence of the Colorado and one of its first substantial tributaries, the Fraser, in the 1980s.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025
The commission also built about 50 barriers on tributaries to prevent adult sea lampreys from accessing spawning habitats.
—Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 15 Dec. 2025
The Guadalupe’s tributaries tell further stories.
—Literary Hub, 21 Nov. 2025
In one of the many tributaries of the great Yukon River in Alaska, this couple eked out a precarious living fishing for salmon while hoping to find gold.
—David McWilliams, Fortune, 16 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tributaries
Noun
-
Previous spills in Flint River The headwaters of the Flint River, which flows south all the way to Florida, begin from seepage around the area of the Atlanta airport, meaning any contaminants from that area can reach the river more easily.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The Flint River — whose headwaters begin in East Point as a small stream — flows through pipes under the airport and emerges as a larger stream on the south side of the airfield.—
Nick Caloway,
CBS News,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
KidsFest activities will return for Sundays at Petco Park, with select Sundays throughout the home schedule dedicated to saluting different military branches, accomplishments and history.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
-
People brought tree branches to form a circle around the area, while others put flowers and candles at the memorial by a snow bank.—
Jack Brook,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
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
Noun
-
Hummingbird feeders are designed to easily dispense this sweet food.—
Peg Aloi,
The Spruce,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Cleaning the feeders regularly prevents them from collecting mold and bacteria that can be potentially harmful to these backyard visitors.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Willingham returned from lunch, then went from his secluded office to the locked evidence room, which he was not authorized to enter, multiple sources with knowledge of the events told CNN.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
-
At some point, those fuel sources will be exhausted, no further energy will be naturally extracted from what remains within them, and those once-brilliant objects will fade away into darkness.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tributaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tributaries. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
