as in tributary
a stream that flows into a larger body of water
a small creek that is the bayou of a larger stream
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Recent Examples of bayou
Here the lodge’s rangers transport us on boats, searching for hippos who give themselves away by clusters of bubbles rising to the surface of the bayou.
—
Lucie Grace, TheWeek, 17 Apr. 2026
On the day of our visit, the South Korean tanker SK Audace was loading cargo, hooked up to pipes so cold they were covered in a thick layer of frost despite the balmy bayou weather.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 31 Mar. 2026
The mayor did not provide specifics on either plan in question with reporters following the address, referring to the MetroRail plan as a vision and the bayou taxi plan as preliminary.
—Abby Church, Houston Chronicle, 12 Feb. 2026
Chicot State Park, Louisiana A visit to Chicot State Park will set you deep in the bayou surroundings of Chicot Lake, which is stocked with bass, crappie, red-ear sunfish, and bluegill.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bayou
Lucie Grace, TheWeek, 17 Apr. 2026
On the day of our visit, the South Korean tanker SK Audace was loading cargo, hooked up to pipes so cold they were covered in a thick layer of frost despite the balmy bayou weather.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 31 Mar. 2026
The mayor did not provide specifics on either plan in question with reporters following the address, referring to the MetroRail plan as a vision and the bayou taxi plan as preliminary.
—Abby Church, Houston Chronicle, 12 Feb. 2026
Chicot State Park, Louisiana A visit to Chicot State Park will set you deep in the bayou surroundings of Chicot Lake, which is stocked with bass, crappie, red-ear sunfish, and bluegill.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bayou
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bayou
tributary
Noun
-
The Blue River is a tributary of the Missouri River, which is a main source of drinking water for the region.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
3 June 2026
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In Oregon, the three reservoirs where fishing limits were lifted all store water from the Powder River, a tributary of the Snake River, which flows through the northeast part of the state.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bayou.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bayou. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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