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
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
Matthew L. Druckenmiller, The Conversation, 16 Dec. 2025
The dam also blocked fish migration, essentially choking off 30 miles of the river and hundreds of miles of tributary habitat.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025
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
In Kobuk Valley National Park in Alaska, a tributary to the Akillik River lost all its juvenile Dolly Varden and slimy sculpin fish after an abrupt increase in stream acidity when the stream turned orange.
—Matthew L. Druckenmiller, The Conversation, 16 Dec. 2025
The dam also blocked fish migration, essentially choking off 30 miles of the river and hundreds of miles of tributary habitat.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025
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
-
Record-low snowpack in the Colorado River headwaters in central and northern Colorado suggests nature is unlikely to give negotiators breathing room.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
15 Jan. 2026
-
Because of the mine’s location — at the headwaters of the BWCA — any potential pollution or acid mine drainage would likely flow into the wilderness area, Voyageurs National Park, and Canada’s Quetico Provincial Park.—
Alex Robinson,
Outdoor Life,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The inspector general's investigation found that Reece and Ruff — who were supervisor and subordinate — did not disclose their romantic relationship, which is a violation of a city executive order.—
Nushrat Rahman,
Freep.com,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Santa’s elves are subordinate Clauses.—
Richard Lederer,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
How to prepare before strong winds approach Trim tree branches away from your house and power lines.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Congress, as the legislative branch, needs to seek bipartisan solutions to some of the major problems facing the United States today.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Jilted by Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss nonetheless beat Georgia in the Sugar Bowl but Pete Golding, the new man in charge, wasn’t quite sure which of his coaches would be coming with him to prep for a semifinal date with Miami and who was making the short ride across the bayou to Baton Rouge.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The City of Houston issued a news release that same day stating that a pedestrian first noticed the body in the bayou.—
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
25 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
After Beck’s winning TD an assistant coach on the sideline hugged Cristobal from behind but the head coach broke free and wanted none if that -- because Ole Miss and gifted QB Trinidad Chambliss had the ball left without about a half-minute left.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Landis is a 2001 Georgetown graduate and served as an assistant coach there for 12 seasons.—
Rich Barak,
Louisville Courier Journal,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
As construction on the 34-story Bally’s Chicago hotel steadily rises skyward over the Ohio Street feeder ramp, things are looking up for the region’s casinos in 2026 amid a building boom that is reshaping the gambling landscape.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Why Provide Water for Birds The birds that visit your feeders will appreciate the fresh sips and will return if the availability of water is consistent.—
Rita Pelczar,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Also, too, that the spectacular boredom of the burbs wrought a complementary spiritual and social inertia.—
Niela Orr,
Vulture,
13 Jan. 2026
-
PNDbotics positions the two platforms as complementary systems, pairing high-fidelity data acquisition with agile humanoid execution to accelerate the development of humanoid robotics.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Hoyer plans to formally announce his retirement in a speech on the House floor Thursday morning, the source said.—
Nikole Killion,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The source claims the couple don't spend much time together otherwise, beyond their joint public appearances.—
Linda Marx,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tributary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tributary. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
