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
Now, Hall and Hall is marketing the 1,500-acre Spring Creek Ranch, a marquee holding at the headwaters of the renowned Fall River.
—
David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 3 Apr. 2026
North Park — about 100 miles (161 kilometers) from the South Park valley that inspired the cartoon TV show — is a headwaters of the eastward-flowing Platte River system.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
The stream flows north 17 miles from its headwaters just south of Ray Lake Forest Preserve, near Wauconda, through Long Lake and then into Fox Lake.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
The headwaters of the Colorado River are among the nation's driest places.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026
The report’s map showed the browns and yellows of persisting and developing drought across the entire Upper Colorado River Basin except in the Green River headwaters of Wyoming.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 20 Mar. 2026
The area includes headwaters for the South Platte River, a source of drinking and agricultural irrigation water.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 18 Mar. 2026
The northernmost headwaters of the Florida Everglades, Shingle Creek flows from the city into nearby Lake Tohopekaliga, eventually reaching the Everglades.
—Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 11 Mar. 2026
In recent years, high-elevation residents have been detected near Donner Lake and the headwaters of the American River's north fork.
—Brandon Downs, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026
David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 3 Apr. 2026
North Park — about 100 miles (161 kilometers) from the South Park valley that inspired the cartoon TV show — is a headwaters of the eastward-flowing Platte River system.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
The stream flows north 17 miles from its headwaters just south of Ray Lake Forest Preserve, near Wauconda, through Long Lake and then into Fox Lake.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
The headwaters of the Colorado River are among the nation's driest places.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026
The report’s map showed the browns and yellows of persisting and developing drought across the entire Upper Colorado River Basin except in the Green River headwaters of Wyoming.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 20 Mar. 2026
The area includes headwaters for the South Platte River, a source of drinking and agricultural irrigation water.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 18 Mar. 2026
The northernmost headwaters of the Florida Everglades, Shingle Creek flows from the city into nearby Lake Tohopekaliga, eventually reaching the Everglades.
—Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 11 Mar. 2026
In recent years, high-elevation residents have been detected near Donner Lake and the headwaters of the American River's north fork.
—Brandon Downs, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headwaters
Noun
-
Instead, year-round rain and snow feed the Salt River and its tributaries.—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Paul Faust, who lives in the Darlington area of Ligonier Township, has a small tributary to the Loyalhanna Creek in his backyard, but on Friday, that run was acting less like a stream and more like a moat.—
Chris Hoffman,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Its companion Renpho Health app (available for Android and iOS) tracks 50 health metrics, but some (like calories consumed and burned) rely on your input or external sources.—
Andrew Gebhart,
PC Magazine,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Lynn, frustrated not to know the source, began searching for it on her phone, but nothing came up.—
Catherine Lacey,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Headwaters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headwaters. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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