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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as in subordinate
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tributary
Time, 24 Aug. 2023
The edges of the country roads are decorated by tributary statues and banners flashing the faces of Allied soldiers who died in the fight.
—Catherine Porter, New York Times, 6 June 2023
Bailey Berg, AFAR Media, 9 Sep. 2025
Following two decades of ice retreat, two tributaries to the north and south of the Alsek stopped feeding ice to the glacier.
—Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tributary
Noun
Sometimes the killers may be Chechens maybe organized by Putin’s other feral favourite, his tributary ruler of Russia’s Chechen republic, Kadyrov.
—Time, 24 Aug. 2023
The edges of the country roads are decorated by tributary statues and banners flashing the faces of Allied soldiers who died in the fight.
—Catherine Porter, New York Times, 6 June 2023
Adjective
In November 2025, On Water Expeditions, part of World Expeditions, will launch its first sailing on the tributary.
—Bailey Berg, AFAR Media, 9 Sep. 2025
Following two decades of ice retreat, two tributaries to the north and south of the Alsek stopped feeding ice to the glacier.
—Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tributary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tributary
Noun
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Enjoy hiking trails with scenic overlooks and opportunities for paddling ⛵ and fishing near the river’s headwaters.—
Melissa Oyler,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Sep. 2025
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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
Adjective
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Russia Has Become the Junior Partner For Moscow, the pipeline cements its subordinate role in its partnership with China.—
Ariel Cohen,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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Her peer and subordinate evaluations were mixed.—
Davis Winkie,
USA Today,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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According to Joe Truzman, a senior analyst with the FDD, the Arrow Unit’s membership is drawn from multiple sources in Gaza, including police officers, operatives belonging to the Ministry of Interior’s security branches, fighters belonging to terrorist factions, and civilian volunteers.—
Sean Durns,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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Cuts in those branches of HHS cascade down and damage the WTC Health Program's effectiveness, advocates say.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The Mississippi River, draining snowmelt from the north, was thirty degrees colder than the bayou.—
Nathaniel Rich,
Harpers Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
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From the Crescent City, the Sunset Limited passes through Louisiana’s bayou country and heads into Texas, with stops at Houston and San Antonio.—
Everett Potter,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
Adjective
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Harbaugh’s journey from his start as an assistant coach with the then-Oakland Raiders to the University of San Diego to Stanford to the San Francisco 49ers to Michigan to the Chargers has been a lengthy one, following a standout career as a college and NFL quarterback, including with the Chargers.—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
10 Sep. 2025
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The Sun said the video was from July 6, the day after the Euro 2024 quarter-final between France and Portugal in Hamburg where Coote was the assistant VAR.—
Ali Rampling,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Other great gardening and outdoor deals include this two-pack of hummingbird feeders, this 91-inch bird feeding station with four feeders, and the Unicook Pizza Stone that goes right on top of your outdoor grill and can withstand up to 1,450 degrees Fahrenheit.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 Sep. 2025
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That’s Step 7 of the English football pyramid, with Acle plying their trade in a regional feeder league.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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What also stood out Sunday was the complementary nature of this Steelers victory.—
Mike Sando,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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Ejae, Rei Ami and Audrey Nuna, who provide the band’s singing voices, broke the fourth wall in complementary, Huntr/x-style ensembles.—
Oscar Holland,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The Tesla is registered to 20-year-old David Anthony Burke, known professionally as D4vd, according to a senior LAPD source.—
Alex Stone,
ABC News,
10 Sep. 2025
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During more than two hours of testimony, journalist Michael Shellenberger testified that sources had informed him that intelligence communities are in possession of numerous high-resolution photos and videos of the craft unlike any of the grainy imagery that has so far been declassified.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tributary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tributary. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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