sources 1 of 2

noun

plural of source
1
as in origins
a point or place at which something is invented or provided we were uncertain as to the source of the rumors a source of inspiration

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in headwaters
the beginning part of a stream 19th-century explorers who sought the source of the Nile

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in references
something mentioned in a text as providing related and especially supporting information the professor asked the students to have at least five different sources for their papers

Synonyms & Similar Words

sources

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of source
as in documents

Related 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 sources
Noun
Mangione's lawyers and federal prosecutors in Manhattan also discussed a possible guilty plea in his federal case in June, sources previously told ABC News. — Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026 The first task is to inventory potential sources of liability. — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026 The notion was a surprise to almost everyone on a Monday videoconference of the CFP management committee (made up of 10 FBS commissioners and Notre Dame’s athletic director), said sources who were on the call. — Chris Vannini, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026 Younger viewers — the ones who CNN and other outlets hope to cultivate in months and years to come — aren’t necessarily getting breaking news from traditional sources. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 10 Aug. 2026 El Niño and La Niña are the biggest sources of seasonal climate predictability. — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026 The current outbreak has previously been linked to iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico, but officials haven’t ruled out additional sources of the infection. — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 3 Aug. 2026 Hungary has relied on regional electricity imports as well as renewable sources to try to make up for the deficit from the Paks plant. — Justin Spike, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2026 Explanations for this varied among sources, and officially, Sotheby’s said they had been asked too late to do facilitate the sale, despite their initial acceptance. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sources
  1. origins
  2. headwaters
  3. references
  4. documents
  5. fountains
  6. tributaries
  7. authorities
  8. roots
Noun
  • However, the notion of the emperor’s divine origins strengthened during the Meiji era, when the concept of State Shinto arose.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Gittelsohn, a painter who attended the now-shuttered San Francisco Art Institute in the 1970s, located across the street from the couple’s home, reached out to about 50 scholars and art experts about the origins of the bust.
    — Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of origins
Noun
  • The headwaters of this 1,400-mile long artery are in the Rocky Mountains, fed by melting snowpack.
    — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
  • Following an exceedingly warm year that has left the Colorado River’s headwaters in the Rocky Mountains largely snowless, Lake Mead is nearing a record-low level.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026
Definition of headwaters
Noun
  • Uniting these jokes is a streak of playful irreverence, a facility for tempering challenging ideas with American cultural references, and a reluctance to provide more explanation than necessary.
    — Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
  • And found our own references, got into it, got the concept down, looked at some different artists.
    — Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of references
Verb
  • The report documents allegations of professors and teaching assistants injecting anti-Israel activism into coursework, even going so far as to offer extra credit for attending anti-Israel events.
    — Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Harry is at the center of Netflix’s latest reality dating series, Let’s Marry Harry, which documents his Bachelor-style journey to find his wife.
    — Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of documents
Noun
  • Birds chirp from atop the towering oak trees, and the peacefully running fountains set the tone for a serenity that'll carry through your weekend.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The fountains in the square were not turned on, and were instead surrounded by barriers, because Britain is in drought at the moment.
    — Raf Sanchez, NBC news, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of fountains
Noun
  • When large streams are elongated, more of the shorter tributaries can share those major channels, and this reduces the overall transport cost.
    — Natalie Wolchover, Quanta Magazine, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Presidio is protected by a series of berms and levees built in the 1970s and 1980s along the Rio Grande and tributaries to combat flooding.
    — Rebecca Santana, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of tributaries
Noun
  • A little more than two hours after the 911 call, with a regional SWAT team and Cowley County sheriff’s deputies joining the standoff, authorities breached the home and found the bodies, DeLong said.
    — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Turkey is the main foreign backer of Dbeibah's government, but in recent years has also reached out to the rival authorities in eastern Libya in an attempt to mend their ties, and as part of regional efforts to unify the North African country.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of authorities
Noun
  • That fire makes for a potent combination with her swimming roots.
    — Peter Baugh, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Her long, glossy hair was swept dramatically over to one side, with lots of lift at the roots and big, soft waves cascading down to her ribs.
    — Marci Robin, Allure, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of roots

Browse Nearby Words

sourced
sources
sourcing
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sources.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sources. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on sources

Nglish: Translation of sources for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All