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
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Recent Examples of tributaries
The glaciers of Cayambe, Antisana, and Cotopaxi are the sources of one of those tributaries—the Río Napo.
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Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
The Grand Canyon is one of the world’s most famous waterways, and its stretch of the Colorado River and its tributaries are protected.
—Owen Clarke, Outside, 9 Jan. 2026
To spawn, salmon must swim hundreds or even thousands of miles upstream from the ocean, and in the Columbia River and its many tributaries, their path is obstructed by a massive network of hydroelectric dams.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, or Northern Water, built a shallow reservoir at the confluence of the Colorado and one of its first substantial tributaries, the Fraser, in the 1980s.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025
Efforts include regular treatments with lampricides, chemical compounds that effectively kill sea lamprey larvae without causing significant harm to other plants and animals, at more than 200 Great Lakes tributaries.
—Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 15 Dec. 2025
In San José, however, local green spaces have been commandeered by the unhoused, with camps that have developed into villages, especially along the Guadalupe River, where the Crash Zone was located, and its tributaries.
—Literary Hub, 21 Nov. 2025
In one of the many tributaries of the great Yukon River in Alaska, this couple eked out a precarious living fishing for salmon while hoping to find gold.
—David McWilliams, Fortune, 16 Nov. 2025
Notably, the gang came to dominate supply routes through the northern part of the country, using the major rivers and their tributaries of the Amazon region.
—Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 9 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tributaries
Noun
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The headwaters of the Big Thompson River snake across an emerald plain, past beaver dams and aspen groves and toward the highest peaks of the Front Range.—
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Biologist Fabiola ‘Fabby’ Baeza-Tarin and an unexpected team work together to protect the sparrows, their shrinking habitat and the headwaters of the Everglades.—
Noun
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How to prepare before strong winds approach Trim tree branches away from your house and power lines.—
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Local forecast updates are issued by regional NWS branches via the agency’s website and social media channels.—
Noun
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On that note, the ACRC survey reported that 52% of affluents were disappointed with the options presented by luxury brands.—
Noun
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These birds need to visit feeders or food energy needed during their trip south.—
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Orchids are heavy feeders, and their soil alone won't provide enough nutrients for them.—
Noun
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That said, many of the gains players made here won’t dramatically affect their bottom lines, and the reality is that most players on ECHL deals will still need those second jobs and other sources of income to continue to chase their dream of making it to the next level.—
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But sources with knowledge of the business tell PEOPLE that the interpretation misses critical context — and that the data instead points to a brand experiencing strong demand and preparing for international expansion.—
Cite this Entry
“Tributaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tributaries. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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