tributaries

noun

plural of tributary
as in headwaters
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 tributaries 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 Chesapeake Bay tributaries are important spawning areas, producing between 70% and 90% of the coastwide population of striped bass. — Ken Perrotte, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026 Environmental groups sent a letter threatening to file suit against Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport for spills of fuel, sewage and other substances into the Flint River and its tributaries over a period of years. — Kelly Yamanouchi, AJC.com, 30 July 2026 The fun part was reaching every pole in every neighborhood in a town crisscrossed by tributaries of the Albany River. — IEEE Spectrum, 30 July 2026 Namami Gange has added substantial sewage-treatment capacity and supported riverfront, afforestation, and biodiversity projects, but untreated sewage and industrial waste continue to affect the Ganges and its tributaries. — Aman Kumar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 July 2026 The town is worried about the effect the wall would have on a series of berms and levees built in the 1970s and 1980s along the Rio Grande and tributaries to combat flooding. — ABC News, 22 July 2026 Surrounding the Grass River and its tributaries, the nature preserve is home to almost 150 species of birds and as well as many species of fish, reptiles, and amphibians. — Kristin Hagenson, Midwest Living, 22 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tributaries
  1. headwaters
  2. branches
  3. affluents
  4. feeders
  5. sources
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
  • When cutting them back in the fall for the winter, leave a few branches for wildlife to use for protection, but be sure to remove all of the dead branches to reduce the risk of diseases.
    — Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Aug. 2026
  • By comparing genomes representing all groups of bacteria and archaea, Martin and his colleagues found that these two branches of life shared common genes for about half of the enzymes needed for these basic reactions.
    — Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of branches
Noun
  • On that note, the ACRC survey reported that 52% of affluents were disappointed with the options presented by luxury brands.
    — Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Definition of affluents
Noun
  • Fertilizing is also important, as cucumbers are heavy feeders.
    — Helena Madden, Martha Stewart, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Bird baths should be placed at least 10 to 15 feet away from nearby feeders to keep bird seed and other debris from muddying up the water.
    — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 July 2026
Definition of feeders
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
Definition of sources

Browse Nearby Words

tribunes
tributaries
tributary
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Cite this Entry

“Tributaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tributaries. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on tributaries

Nglish: Translation of tributaries for Spanish Speakers

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