as in tributary
the beginning part of a stream
the first exploration of the Missouri River from its mouth to its headwaters was made by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark in the early 1800s
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Recent Examples of headwaters
It could be said that more people have stood atop the headwaters of the Flint River than that of any other one on earth.
—
David Hanson, Southern Living, 13 Sep. 2025
Enjoy hiking trails with scenic overlooks and opportunities for paddling ⛵ and fishing near the river’s headwaters.
—Melissa Oyler, Charlotte Observer, 5 Sep. 2025
Ashia Wilson, a member of the Klamath Tribes who lives at the river’s headwaters, said that the week before the paddlers reached the mouth Upper Klamath Lake, the home to the endemic c’waam and koptu fish, is now too toxic to touch.
—Debra Utacia Krol, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2025
The heaviest rain is expected to occur across the headwaters of Peters Creek and Cache Creek.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
The 2025 runoff season in the Rocky Mountains, the Colorado's headwaters, is shaping up to be the seventh-driest since 1963, when the government built Glen Canyon Dam and formed Lake Powell.
—Austin Corona, AZCentral.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Much of the water near the headwaters, however, is diverted under the Continental Divide to Front Range communities.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 15 Aug. 2025
David Hanson, Southern Living, 13 Sep. 2025
Enjoy hiking trails with scenic overlooks and opportunities for paddling ⛵ and fishing near the river’s headwaters.
—Melissa Oyler, Charlotte Observer, 5 Sep. 2025
Ashia Wilson, a member of the Klamath Tribes who lives at the river’s headwaters, said that the week before the paddlers reached the mouth Upper Klamath Lake, the home to the endemic c’waam and koptu fish, is now too toxic to touch.
—Debra Utacia Krol, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2025
The heaviest rain is expected to occur across the headwaters of Peters Creek and Cache Creek.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
The 2025 runoff season in the Rocky Mountains, the Colorado's headwaters, is shaping up to be the seventh-driest since 1963, when the government built Glen Canyon Dam and formed Lake Powell.
—Austin Corona, AZCentral.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Much of the water near the headwaters, however, is diverted under the Continental Divide to Front Range communities.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headwaters
Noun
-
In March 2019, Clover Flat Land Fill spilled 40,000 gallons of leachate into nearby streams, which are tributaries of the Napa River, Haley said in a news release.—
Bay City News,
Mercury News,
13 Sep. 2025
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Potamopyrgus antipodarum, or New Zealand mudsnails, were found at two tributaries of the Monongahela River in Allegheny County, Peters Creek and Turtle Creek, according to the report.—
Jennifer Rodriguez,
Kansas City Star,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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That's part of the 'framework' agreement for TikTok, which will also include new and existing investors in its Chinese parent company ByteDance, sources told CNBC's David Faber.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
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As demand for electricity surged to power more electric devices in homes and Big Tech's boom in data centers, renewable energy has been the go-to source for the cheapest, fastest way to generate more juice.—
Jeff Young,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Headwaters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headwaters. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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