riverbed

noun

riv·​er·​bed ˈri-vər-ˌbed How to pronounce riverbed (audio)
: the channel occupied by a river

Examples of riverbed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
At Tanque Verde Ranch, one of the country’s top dude ranches, riders can meander through desert washes (seasonally dry riverbeds), climb rocky hillsides, and experience the quiet solitude of the open desert. Visit Tucson, AFAR Media, 21 Mar. 2025 In the usual Santa Ana storms, most of that flow streams out of the desert, through mountain passes and into the valleys along predictable pathways, like water coursing down riverbeds. Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025 The partial skeletal remains were found on March 22, 1995, in a riverbed off Highway 129 in Santa Cruz County, about 29 miles south of San Jose, said the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office. Saleen Martin, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2025 Manny Trujillo watched the fire spread into a dry riverbed across the street from his home in Castaic. Corina Knoll, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for riverbed

Word History

First Known Use

1781, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of riverbed was in 1781

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Riverbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/riverbed. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

riverbed

noun
riv·​er·​bed -ˌbed How to pronounce riverbed (audio)
: the channel occupied or once occupied by a river

More from Merriam-Webster on riverbed

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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