TRIBUTARY Synonyms: 70 Similar and Opposite Words

tributary 1 of 2

noun

ˈtri-byə-ˌter-ē

Definition of tributary

as in headwater

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

tributary

2 of 2

adjective

as in subordinate

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 tributary

Noun

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 Families can enjoy the tributary and take in the fall foliage at spots like peaceful Wild River State Park and Interstate State Park, which offers clifftop views of the river. — Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026

Adjective

But these capitalists were encircled for hundreds of years by a sea of subsistence farmers and tributary empires that operated on completely different principles. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 18 Jan. 2026 History is everywhere in Okinawa, which from 1429 to 1879 was the Ryukyu Kingdom, a tributary state under China’s Ming and Qing dynasties. — Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 16 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tributary

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tributary

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 headwater

Adjective

Johnson frequently uses his saxophone to control a sampler or drum machine, triggering changes in loops and effects, but the technology is ultimately subordinate to physical expression.

— SPIN Staff, SPIN, 9 Sep. 2026
If true, then the wearer wasn’t a man named Pilate, but a subordinate or enslaved person under his oversight who used the ring as a wax or clay seal for various materials and documents.

— Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of subordinate

Noun

Those years became an incubator of offensive ideas, pulling leaves from different branches of the scheme and adding plays and ideas to the binder that would soon blossom in Philadelphia.

— Zach Berman, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
The robot must then navigate through dense crops, avoid branches and leaves, and locate the needle-sized stigma with enough precision to complete pollination.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of branch

Adjective

Wyatt Lohaus is joining the Kings as an assistant video coordinator after spending the 2025-26 season as a fellow with the Mississippi State men’s basketball program.

— Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 14 Sep. 2026
Track how often your products appear in assistant answers, and track launch-window products apart from the catalog average, because the aggregate hides the cohort at risk.

— Srijith Ravikumar, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of assistant

Noun

Henley was raised in a tiny Texas town bound by bayou and pine, the same place that produced Scott Joplin and T-Bone Walker.

— Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 30 Aug. 2026
Now the sound was muffled from the hunters as the dogs passed around a canebrake wall bordered by a dark bayou.

— Paul Schullery, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of bayou

Adjective

But the food is so good — not wow-wow, but layered with complementary flavors, seasoned with a sure hand, and utterly satisfying.

— John Kessler, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2026
The pair posed for photos at the Hotel Excelsior Venice Lido Pier during the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on Monday, wearing contrasting yet complementary shoes.

— Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of complementary

Noun

This includes fabric spreaders, feeders, roll loaders, spreading tables and related software.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 8 Sep. 2026
There are other ways to provide enrichment, like rotating toys every day to stimulate exploration, using puzzle feeder dishes to satisfy hunting behaviors and playing videos for your cat showing birds or fish.

— Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of feeder

Browse Nearby Words

tributaries

tributary

tribute

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Tributary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tributary. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of tributary

noun

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on tributary

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

quorum

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes