TRIBUTARY Synonyms: 70 Similar and Opposite Words

tributary 1 of 2

noun

ˈtri-byə-ˌter-ē

Definition of tributary

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

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tributary

2 of 2

adjective

as in subordinate

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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 tributary

Noun

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

Adjective

But these capitalists were encircled for hundreds of years by a sea of subsistence farmers and tributary empires that operated on completely different principles. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 18 Jan. 2026 History is everywhere in Okinawa, which from 1429 to 1879 was the Ryukyu Kingdom, a tributary state under China’s Ming and Qing dynasties. — Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 16 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tributary

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tributary

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 headwater

Adjective

Though Overton and Kennedy have worked closely on a range of health priorities, some people familiar with the dynamic questioned how the two would mesh if Overton moves from the White House to an FDA role that is technically subordinate to Kennedy.

— Sarah Owermohle, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
These reforms, however, remain embedded in a judiciary that is subordinate to Communist Party leadership.

— Mark Jia, Foreign Affairs, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of subordinate

Noun

In previous comments to the Washington Examiner, veteran Democratic strategist James Carville asserted Democrats will take back both branches of Congress.

— Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 19 Aug. 2026
Walton Johnson, who began at the clerk of courts office overseeing its online Self-Help Center, pledged to install kiosks at the Orange County Courthouse and its surrounding branches to cut down on wait times.

— Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of branch

Noun

Now the sound was muffled from the hunters as the dogs passed around a canebrake wall bordered by a dark bayou.

— Paul Schullery, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026
Day One of the conference was unfortunately a bit muted this time around as Tropical Storm Bertha ripped across the Gulf Coast, unleashing its power across the Louisiana bayou.

— Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026

Definition of bayou

Noun

Numerous other agricultural organizations are in favor of the phased reopening, such as the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), a trade association for ranchers and feeders, including many who rely on Mexican livestock.

— Max Saltman, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
Birds visiting the feeder can get the goo on their wings, hampering their ability to fly and possibly leading to their untimely deaths.

— Joan Morris, Mercury News, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of feeder

Browse Nearby Words

tributaries

tributary

tribute

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“Tributary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tributary. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of tributary

noun

adjective

Example Sentences

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