1
as in canal
a passageway for water
A fallen tree branch was floating down the river.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in stream
an overwhelming flow or rush of something
Jet streams can be thought of as giant rivers of air that circulate around the globe. He was overwhelmed by the river of new information that the document dump provided.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of river
Actor Joshua Jackson has reflected on a river of emotions flowing through the Dawson's Creek cast — including his enduring affection for coster and former girlfriend Katie Holmes.
—
Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 28 Apr. 2025
The vehicle apparently veered off the highway into the river.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 27 Apr. 2025
Over the past week, India has suspended visas for Pakistani visitors, expelled some of its diplomats, and halted a decades-old treaty that divides six rivers between the two countries.
—Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 27 Apr. 2025
These hotels, all opened in the last year, show travelers luxurious Lowcountry living in South Carolina, a Florida Keys resort with a lazy river, and a manor hotel on 90 acres, just an hour’s drive from Manhattan.
—Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for river
Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 28 Apr. 2025
The vehicle apparently veered off the highway into the river.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 27 Apr. 2025
Over the past week, India has suspended visas for Pakistani visitors, expelled some of its diplomats, and halted a decades-old treaty that divides six rivers between the two countries.
—Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 27 Apr. 2025
These hotels, all opened in the last year, show travelers luxurious Lowcountry living in South Carolina, a Florida Keys resort with a lazy river, and a manor hotel on 90 acres, just an hour’s drive from Manhattan.
—Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for river
Recent Examples of Synonyms for river
Noun
-
The Hide Resting among the romantic canals of Madinat Jumeirah, the palatial Four-Star Jumeirah Al Qasr is a spectacular location for an elegant night out in Dubai.—
Natasha Amar,
Forbes.com,
23 Apr. 2025
-
Ancient Egyptians are famous for their pioneering and mastery of hydraulics through canals for irrigation purposes and barges to transport huge stones.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
At 45 feet in height, made of steel covered by stainless steel mesh and featuring curvaceous nakedness, the R-Evolution statue draws a steady stream of locals and visitors alike.—
Jorge L. Ortiz,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Outside, lush canyon views frame a resort-style pool, spa, cabana, fire pit, and a cascading waterfall flowing into a tranquil stream.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Moving packages on our waterways was first proposed in 1994.—
Tom Fox,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2025
-
View gallery - 3 images A benzodiazepine seeping into waterways is causing young Atlantic salmon to behave strangely, with fish in the wild migrating more rapidly and taking more risks on their journey from river to ocean.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
20 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
For more than four decades, the state of the climate has been part of the national conversation—especially when severe weather events linked to a warming world such as droughts, floods, heat waves, and hurricanes occur.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
21 Apr. 2025
-
Constructed in the later half of the 19th century, the building has weathered fire, flood, abandonment—and even ghosts.—
Valerie Fraser Luesse,
Southern Living,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Younis: The Khan Younis refugee camp is a dense, gray, concrete shantytown, the black waters from sewers running in thin rivulets down the middle of alleys.—
Chris Hedges,
Harpers Magazine,
15 June 2024
-
The body meld transforms into a mind meld near the end, when each woman shoots streams of shiny water from their eyes, with the separate rivulets crashing into each other to form a floating, fiery disco ball heart.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
10 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Arroyo memorializes ordinary buildings at risk of being swept up in the tide of gentrification in Miami through his paintings, while Simmons creates with concrete, fabric, acrylic, found objects and construction debris to form architectural sculptures and mixed media works.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Apr. 2025
-
This rising tide has been spurred in large part by billionaires, particularly Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and, to a lesser extent, Richard Branson.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
18 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“River.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/river. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share