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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Recent Examples of tributaries
Vast stretches of suburban concrete block its natural drainage, and thousands of homes have been built along its winding, sluggish tributaries.
—
Dominic Boyer, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2026
Khartoum, a metropolis of 7 million, sits at the confluence of tributaries, a sort of Pittsburgh-on-the-Nile.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026
The state socks rainbow, golden, brown, and brook trout in many of the New River tributaries like Glade Creek, Dunloup Creek, Laurel Creek, Mill Creek, and Meadow Creek each spring.
—Jordan Charbonneau, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2026
On the Columbia River and its tributaries, the party had to dig out five new canoes and then paddle them through treacherous rapids.
—Craig Fehrman, Space.com, 6 Apr. 2026
That matters because snowpack makes up the bulk of the state’s water supply; Colorado is heavily dependent on surface water in rivers and tributaries fed by melting snow in the soaring Rocky Mountains, in addition to backup supplies in reservoirs.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 6 Apr. 2026
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, 3 Apr. 2026
The Nile is Africa’s longest river, it and its principal tributaries traversing parts of 10 countries and several different physiographic regions.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Instead, year-round rain and snow feed the Salt River and its tributaries.
—Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Dominic Boyer, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2026
Khartoum, a metropolis of 7 million, sits at the confluence of tributaries, a sort of Pittsburgh-on-the-Nile.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026
The state socks rainbow, golden, brown, and brook trout in many of the New River tributaries like Glade Creek, Dunloup Creek, Laurel Creek, Mill Creek, and Meadow Creek each spring.
—Jordan Charbonneau, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2026
On the Columbia River and its tributaries, the party had to dig out five new canoes and then paddle them through treacherous rapids.
—Craig Fehrman, Space.com, 6 Apr. 2026
That matters because snowpack makes up the bulk of the state’s water supply; Colorado is heavily dependent on surface water in rivers and tributaries fed by melting snow in the soaring Rocky Mountains, in addition to backup supplies in reservoirs.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 6 Apr. 2026
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, 3 Apr. 2026
The Nile is Africa’s longest river, it and its principal tributaries traversing parts of 10 countries and several different physiographic regions.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Instead, year-round rain and snow feed the Salt River and its tributaries.
—Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tributaries
Noun
-
That’s the headwaters of the swamp.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Now, Hall and Hall is marketing the 1,500-acre Spring Creek Ranch, a marquee holding at the headwaters of the renowned Fall River.—
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
These winds will be capable of snapping tree branches and downing power lines.—
Ahmad Bajjey,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Each year, approximately a hundred senior officers from across all branches of the armed forces enroll in world-class courses of study at schools such as Harvard, Princeton, and Georgetown as part of the Senior Service College Fellows Program.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 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
-
From high-end feeders to quality wholesome nutrition, these are my top splurge-worthy pet essentials to shop for uncompromised quality.—
Rachel Cortez,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Adding multiple feeders alongside your nectar-rich plants gives hummingbirds even more reason to visit — and stay.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
On average, the study participants consumed about 41% of their daily food from ultraprocessed sources.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The fees help preserve the city’s general fund budget without having to cover the full cost of its maintenance from other sources.—
Henry Foster Iii,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tributaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tributaries. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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