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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in subordinate
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of tributary
Leia Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 7 Sep. 2023
The edges of the country roads are decorated by tributary statues and banners flashing the faces of Allied soldiers who died in the fight.
—Catherine Porter, New York Times, 6 June 2023
Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 20 July 2025
The following rivers remained closed as of July 18, the NPS spokesperson said:
Madison River and associated tributaries;
Firehole River and associated tributaries;
Gibbon River and associated waterways downstream of Norris Campground.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 19 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tributary
Noun
Lilac Solutions expects the amount of lithium it mines will get replenished from the sediments washed in by the Great Salt Lake’s tributary rivers each year, Sully said.
—Leia Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 7 Sep. 2023
The edges of the country roads are decorated by tributary statues and banners flashing the faces of Allied soldiers who died in the fight.
—Catherine Porter, New York Times, 6 June 2023
Adjective
The river is now being tested weekly, as are two of its tributaries, the Eagle and Roaring Fork rivers.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 20 July 2025
The following rivers remained closed as of July 18, the NPS spokesperson said:
Madison River and associated tributaries;
Firehole River and associated tributaries;
Gibbon River and associated waterways downstream of Norris Campground.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 19 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tributary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tributary
Noun
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The storm hit at the headwaters of the Guadalupe River, over streams that converge in the river valley.—
Jeffrey Basara,
The Conversation,
24 July 2025
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Paddle Tribal Waters kayakers train hard, work and play hard on the river The young people are members of Paddle Tribal Waters, a nonprofit based in the Klamath Tribes' community near the headwaters of the Klamath River.—
Debra Utacia Krol,
AZCentral.com,
21 July 2025
Adjective
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The San Diego readiness center is a subordinate command of the NIFR, which is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas.—
Gary Robbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Aug. 2025
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Rella explained to the Post that there could be a claim if a person in a subordinate position thought they were being unfairly targeted.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
18 July 2025
Noun
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The pair sits on the same branch, looking around and scratching.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
11 Aug. 2025
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Taylor Nation, an official branch of the pop superstar’s marketing team, posted a series of photos from the Eras Tour where Swift is perhaps not-so-coincidentally wearing orange in every shot.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Streetlights cast a glow just bright enough to illuminate the weathered water vessels while leaving the bayou beyond dark and mysterious.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
2 July 2025
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Coming from humble beginnings in the Louisiana bayou, the sisters decided to chase the glitz and glamour of the Big Apple and haven’t looked back.—
Liza Esquibias,
People.com,
16 July 2025
Noun
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The public is asked not to moor to or stand on the feeders.—
Madeline Heim,
jsonline.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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Weeks later, three appeared at our thistle feeders, and a fourth, an immature, arrived as well.—
Sheryl De Vore,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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To be sure, Fox has launched streaming outlets, including Tubi and Fox Nation, but they are largely seen as complementary to the company’s linear outlets — not a substitute for them.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
5 Aug. 2025
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What would work need to look like in order to be complementary and supportive of your idea of living a full life?—
Rebecca Fraser-Thill,
Forbes.com,
31 July 2025
Noun
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With the sharp decline in sea stars, the sea urchins that usually serve as a food source rapidly expanded in population.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
People.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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The official story told by official sources, the story we’ve been trained to trust, is often a distortion, or a downright fabrication.—
Jesse Hyde,
Rolling Stone,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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In his 1985 report, Popplewell cited the lack of fire extinguishers or clearly signposted evacuation routes as a contributory factor, along with the locked exit gates and no one knowing who was in overall control of the matchday operation.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
10 May 2025
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The news comes in the wake of health officials announcing that Arakawa died at 65 from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare condition that comes from contact with rodents, and Hackman subsequently died at 95 from heart disease, with Alzheimer's as a significant contributory factor.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tributary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tributary. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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