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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of tributary
Flip Putthoff, arkansasonline.com, 30 Dec. 2024
One of those options is giving up excess water through Mexico’s Rio San Juan, which would not otherwise be an option since that river is not one of the six tributaries managed by the treaty.
—Berenice Garcia, Austin American-Statesman, 26 Dec. 2024
Catherine Porter, New York Times, 6 June 2023
This was a tributary version of the break-up and floe of ice that historically has happened in all the Great Lakes.
—Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 27 Mar. 2023
See all Example Sentences for tributary 
Noun
Jon Conklin, fishing guide, recommends fishing for stripers on the south half of the lake, from Prairie Creek park upstream into the White and War Eagle tributaries.
—Flip Putthoff, arkansasonline.com, 30 Dec. 2024
One of those options is giving up excess water through Mexico’s Rio San Juan, which would not otherwise be an option since that river is not one of the six tributaries managed by the treaty.
—Berenice Garcia, Austin American-Statesman, 26 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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
This was a tributary version of the break-up and floe of ice that historically has happened in all the Great Lakes.
—Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 27 Mar. 2023
See all Example Sentences for tributary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tributary
Noun
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Helping headwaters:Conservation agreement will protect Upper Verde River, grasslands and a historic ranch Thanks for reading and for subscribing to AZ Climate, the Arizona Republic's weekly environment newsletter.—
Shaun McKinnon,
The Arizona Republic,
2 Dec. 2024
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What happens upriver in the Upper Klamath Lake, which is considered the headwaters of the Klamath, all the way down to the Pacific Ocean, everything effects everything else.—
Dana Taylor,
USA TODAY,
6 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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For many, the thrill of these stories, especially in the romance genre, is that heroines no longer derive power directly from their relationships with men and in turn they are not seen as subordinate to hero’s goals.—
Rebecca Scofield / Made by History,
TIME,
21 Jan. 2025
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To salvage the 155th Mechanized Brigade, a unit that Ukraine, France and Poland spent months and millions of dollars training and equipping, Ukrainian leaders have begun assigning its fresh but inexperienced subordinate units to the weary but experienced brigades in the Pokrovsk sector.—
David Axe,
Forbes,
3 Jan. 2025
Noun
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As of Monday, Republicans control all three branches of the federal government.—
Bill Barrow,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Jan. 2025
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The three branches of government played their roles as assigned.—
David Phelan,
Forbes,
20 Jan. 2025
Noun
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From the outdoor patio you’ll be surrounded by lush greenery, twinkling string lights, and the gentle, slow-moving waters of the bayou.—
Symiah Dorsey,
Southern Living,
10 Jan. 2025
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According to the Mail, Lana Del Rey married Dufrene at the same Louisiana bayou where the groom hosts his alligator tours.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
27 Sep. 2024
Noun
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Its automatic document feeder (ADF) offers single-pass duplexing (two-sided scanning), a necessity for anyone who needs to scan, copy, or fax duplex pages.—
PCMAG,
PCMAG,
18 Jan. 2025
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Even the robot pet feeder came with a premium price tag.—
Sandy Carter,
Forbes,
13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Related Articles For the occasion, Good gave wintertime dressing a sensual spin, opting for a coordinated look and complementary jacket.—
Julia Teti,
WWD,
16 Jan. 2025
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Dash the chipotle-mustard sauce on turkey or use a sprinkle along with regular sauce on the complementary bread for a brisket sandwich.—
Bud Kennedy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 Jan. 2025
Noun
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With the source of the Nile running through the city, the area attracts tourists who come to raft the river’s rapids and bungee jump over the water, and houses international charity organizations and missionaries that want to set up outside the snarled traffic of Kampala.—
Greg Presto,
The Athletic,
16 Jan. 2025
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Instead, this late-stage move risks turning a critical national security priority into a source of division.—
Emil Sayegh,
Forbes,
16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Heat stress was listed as a contributory factor to her death.—
Bayliss Wagner,
Austin American-Statesman,
31 July 2024
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The oil and gas companies can raise a contributory negligence defense on two fronts.—
Ed Hirs,
Forbes,
23 Feb. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near tributary
Cite this Entry
“Tributary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tributary. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.
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