Definition of headwaternext
as in tributary
usually headwaters plural the beginning part of a stream the first exploration of the Missouri River from its mouth to its headwaters was made by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark in the early 1800s

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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 headwater Lake Assinica in the Broadback headwaters has attracted world-wide attention for its giant squaretails the past two years. Marc Terziev, Outdoor Life, 25 June 2026 Long-term drought fueled by climate change has shrunk the Colorado River’s flows as federal officials and water leaders in the seven basin states — including Colorado, home to its headwaters — struggle to agree on longer-term plans for the river’s management. Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 21 June 2026 While the river’s headwaters are near Salem, most of the outfitters are located in Steelville. Kelsey Yandura, Midwest Living, 17 June 2026 These burn areas create barriers around villages, headwaters and sensitive sites, protecting them from wildfires during peak drought. ABC News, 7 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for headwater
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headwater
Noun
  • An ice and rock avalanche from a high-altitude glacier may have triggered the flooding, with a large volume of debris entering the Lende Khola tributary, researchers have said in a preliminary assessment.
    Josh Feldman, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Preliminary evidence suggests a large volume of ice and rock may have plunged into the Lhende Khola, a tributary of the Bhote Koshi River.
    Sibi Arasu, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Anna Watson’s lighting keeps much of the house just dim enough to make the imagination dangerous, while Tony winner Gareth Fry’s sound design surrounds the audience with ominous noises whose sources aren’t always immediately clear.
    Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Amazon also looked to capitalize on the demand for AI training by marketing MTurk as a data annotation source for its SageMaker service.
    Annie Palmer, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Headwater.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headwater. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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