as in canals
an open man-made passageway for water
the Erie Canal was superseded by a much larger waterway, the New York State Barge Canal
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Recent Examples of waterways
At play are all critical waterways and congestion bottlenecks through which the world’s energy products, agriculture, and supply chain parts flow.
—
Jordan Blum, Fortune, 2 May 2026
Human remains found in waterways near a Florida interstate have been identified as Nahida Bristy, one of two college students who disappeared in mid-April, officials investigating the case announced May 1.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 1 May 2026
Human remains believed to belong to Bristy were found in the waterways of Tampa Bay on Sunday.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 1 May 2026
Tucked between multiple waterways surrounding Christiansted, the island’s capital city, Undercover Books makes a concerted effort to offer its visitors more than escapism.
—Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Apr. 2026
Reznik said while the San Gabriel River system and adjacent spreading grounds, stretching from Irwindale to Long Beach, work exceptionally well, capturing 90% of the local runoff that percolates into underground basins for later use, that’s not true of some other waterways in the county.
—Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 24 Apr. 2026
Jakarta authorities have responded with mass removals, targeting the janitor fish in city waterways.
—ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
During heavy rain, sewage can overflow into waterways, exposing people to toxic chemicals and harmful bacteria.
—Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 24 Apr. 2026
Straits are narrow waterways that link two larger bodies of water.
—Scott Spires, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
Jordan Blum, Fortune, 2 May 2026
Human remains found in waterways near a Florida interstate have been identified as Nahida Bristy, one of two college students who disappeared in mid-April, officials investigating the case announced May 1.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 1 May 2026
Human remains believed to belong to Bristy were found in the waterways of Tampa Bay on Sunday.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 1 May 2026
Tucked between multiple waterways surrounding Christiansted, the island’s capital city, Undercover Books makes a concerted effort to offer its visitors more than escapism.
—Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Apr. 2026
Reznik said while the San Gabriel River system and adjacent spreading grounds, stretching from Irwindale to Long Beach, work exceptionally well, capturing 90% of the local runoff that percolates into underground basins for later use, that’s not true of some other waterways in the county.
—Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 24 Apr. 2026
Jakarta authorities have responded with mass removals, targeting the janitor fish in city waterways.
—ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
During heavy rain, sewage can overflow into waterways, exposing people to toxic chemicals and harmful bacteria.
—Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 24 Apr. 2026
Straits are narrow waterways that link two larger bodies of water.
—Scott Spires, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waterways
Noun
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The tour kicked off in Milan last month, where the boat navigated the Navigli canals from April 21 to 26, coinciding with Design Week.—
Stephen Garner,
Footwear News,
3 May 2026
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Many downtown streets were once canals, a tradition that continues in the rural fringes.—
Megan Janetsky,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Noun
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The tunnel would create a second route to transport water from new intakes on the Sacramento River to the south side of the Delta, where pumps send water into the aqueducts of the State Water Project.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
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Initiatives include water desalination and underground aqueducts powered by clean energy, plus steam plants supplying electricity.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Waterways.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waterways. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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