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 Wildlife managers and volunteers will be closing more than 14 miles of stream and tributaries in Rocky Mountain National Park on Monday to start a weeklong operation meant to clear new habitat for Colorado's state fish. — Logan Smith, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026 In Michigan, the only state entirely within the watershed, officials are testing 200 tributaries for microplastics. — Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026 The Brahmaputra and its tributaries carry enormous amounts of sediment from the Himalayas, continually reshaping channels, banks and river islands. — ABC News, 18 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 Presidio is protected by a series of berms and levees built in the 1970s and 1980s along the Rio Grande and tributaries to combat flooding. — Rebecca Santana, Los Angeles Times, 4 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 Environmental groups sent a letter threatening to file suit against Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport for spills of fuel, sewage and other substances into the Flint River and its tributaries over a period of years. — Kelly Yamanouchi, AJC.com, 30 July 2026 The fun part was reaching every pole in every neighborhood in a town crisscrossed by tributaries of the Albany River. — IEEE Spectrum, 30 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tributaries
  1. headwaters
  2. branches
  3. affluents
  4. feeders
  5. sources
Noun
  • The agreement was made at a time when the region had a smaller population and benefited from wetter years, with much more snow to feed the river’s headwaters in the Rocky Mountains.
    — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Following an exceedingly warm year that has left the Colorado River’s headwaters in the Rocky Mountains largely snowless, Lake Mead is nearing a record-low level.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026
Definition of headwaters
Noun
  • Prune tree limbs so the lowest branches are 6 to 10 feet from the ground.
    — Sarah Perkel, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Tasks included scooping and dumping sand or gravel, digging and grading trenches, clearing debris from roads, removing tree branches from water edges, and breaking up rocks.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 21 Aug. 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
  • Numerous other agricultural organizations are in favor of the phased reopening, such as the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), a trade association for ranchers and feeders, including many who rely on Mexican livestock.
    — Max Saltman, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Despite Wu’s post, there are users online seeking replacement pet feeders and criticizing Petlibro’s response.
    — Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of feeders
Noun
  • The broader strategy is to reserve space for nuclear generation alongside other power sources as data-center campuses expand.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The Best Collagen Sources for Vegetarians Since vegetarians can’t get collagen from direct sources, the key is to look for foods and supplements that will support collagen production.
    — Audrey Noble, Vogue, 24 Aug. 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 27 Aug. 2026.

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