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
Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Mar. 2026
River gauges are already recording daytime melting, Moser said, including on tributaries to the Yampa River in Colorado and on the rivers and streams above Blue Mesa Reservoir outside Gunnison.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 9 Mar. 2026
Leia Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 19 Sep. 2023
Sometimes the killers may be Chechens maybe organized by Putin’s other feral favourite, his tributary ruler of Russia’s Chechen republic, Kadyrov.
—Time, 24 Aug. 2023
See All Example Sentences for tributary
Noun
For starters, Roger Hurlbut said, the tributary is a shallow ditch for stormwater runoff.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Mar. 2026
River gauges are already recording daytime melting, Moser said, including on tributaries to the Yampa River in Colorado and on the rivers and streams above Blue Mesa Reservoir outside Gunnison.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
That salty, terminal lake had its tributary water diverted away by the city of Los Angeles, turning it into a dry salt flat.
—Leia Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 19 Sep. 2023
Sometimes the killers may be Chechens maybe organized by Putin’s other feral favourite, his tributary ruler of Russia’s Chechen republic, Kadyrov.
—Time, 24 Aug. 2023
See All Example Sentences for tributary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tributary
Noun
-
North Park — about 100 miles (161 kilometers) from the South Park valley that inspired the cartoon TV show — is a headwaters of the eastward-flowing Platte River system.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2026
-
This includes a 3,118-foot peak, 16 headwater streams and stunning views of the French Broad River Valley, the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy reports.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Everything should be subordinate to a general loveliness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Specifics weren’t given, but volunteers will likely be taken into the Basij, a pro-regime paramilitary force subordinate to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Purple-pink brittle stars still clung to the corals, their tendril-like arms wrapping around the branches like yarn.—
Jeffrey Marlow,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
For the Supreme Court to do so would require it to repudiate the Constitution’s text, the Court’s own precedents, and the enduring understanding of all three branches and of the American people.—
David Cole,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
On the day of our visit, the South Korean tanker SK Audace was loading cargo, hooked up to pipes so cold they were covered in a thick layer of frost despite the balmy bayou weather.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
31 Mar. 2026
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The mayor did not provide specifics on either plan in question with reporters following the address, referring to the MetroRail plan as a vision and the bayou taxi plan as preliminary.—
Abby Church,
Houston Chronicle,
12 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The union represents around 3,000 principals, assistant principals, classified managers and school administrators across the district.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
For now, Galloway says, AI represents less of a threat to the assistant workforce than the general retrenchment and consolidation affecting the industry.—
Mia Galuppo,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In the time since, the ocean carrier has been moving Pakistan cargo via Salalah by using feeder capacity.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Hang the feeder in an open area.—
Katie Landeck,
The Providence Journal,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The classic swim look featured a thin gold chain with a cross pendant and a complementary belly chain.—
Danielle Minnetian,
FOXNews.com,
31 Mar. 2026
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Today, the brand operates across two complementary product lines.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Its companion Renpho Health app (available for Android and iOS) tracks 50 health metrics, but some (like calories consumed and burned) rely on your input or external sources.—
Andrew Gebhart,
PC Magazine,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Lynn, frustrated not to know the source, began searching for it on her phone, but nothing came up.—
Catherine Lacey,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tributary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tributary. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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