TRIBUTARY Synonyms: 70 Similar and Opposite Words

tributary 1 of 2

noun

ˈtri-byə-ˌter-ē

Definition of tributary

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

tributary

2 of 2

adjective

as in subordinate

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 tributary

Noun

Surrounding the Grass River and its tributaries, the nature preserve is home to almost 150 species of birds and as well as many species of fish, reptiles, and amphibians. — Kristin Hagenson, Midwest Living, 22 July 2026 By summer 1951, unusually heavy rainfall had overwhelmed existing and newly built flood-control structures along the Kansas, Marais des Cygnes, and Neosho rivers and their tributaries. — Michelle Oliva-Espinosa, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2026

Adjective

But these capitalists were encircled for hundreds of years by a sea of subsistence farmers and tributary empires that operated on completely different principles. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 18 Jan. 2026 History is everywhere in Okinawa, which from 1429 to 1879 was the Ryukyu Kingdom, a tributary state under China’s Ming and Qing dynasties. — Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 16 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tributary

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tributary

Noun

The headwaters of this 1,400-mile long artery are in the Rocky Mountains, fed by melting snowpack.

— Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
Following an exceedingly warm year that has left the Colorado River’s headwaters in the Rocky Mountains largely snowless, Lake Mead is nearing a record-low level.

— Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026

Definition of headwater

Adjective

The prosecutor noted Patten's cooperation, his good behavior while free awaiting his sentencing, and his subordinate role to the Cokers in the scheme.

— Dan Mangan, CNBC, 21 July 2026
Executive Vulnerability How a leader reacts in the five-second window after being corrected by a subordinate determines the future of that company’s innovation.

— William DeCourcy, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026

Definition of subordinate

Noun

The research initiative will operate as a branch of Polymarket and aims to provide the institutional rigor and infrastructure necessary to measure how prediction markets can function at scale.

— Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 29 July 2026
At the base, blueberry shrubs have multiple canes (or branches) that grow directly out of the earth in clumps.

— Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 28 July 2026

Definition of branch

Adjective

By November, after sending his resume to Golden Knights president of hockey operations George McPhee, who had previously signed Ward as a free agent with the Capitals in 2011, he was hired as an assistant coach for the Silver Knights.

— Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 27 July 2026
The champion Utah Talons’ roster is packed with former Bruins and is steered by former UCLA player and current assistant coach Lisa Fernandez.

— Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 27 July 2026

Definition of assistant

Noun

Day One of the conference was unfortunately a bit muted this time around as Tropical Storm Bertha ripped across the Gulf Coast, unleashing its power across the Louisiana bayou.

— Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026
While here, be sure to take a boat tour through the swamps of the bayou.

— Josh Laskin, Travel + Leisure, 3 July 2026

Definition of bayou

Adjective

Dotson was a first-round pick in 2022, only eight picks behind London, and after two promising years with the Commanders, he was traded to the Eagles and forced into a complementary role.

— Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 29 July 2026
Second, Hyman and Gordon—and their companies—are complementary in so many ways.

— Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 29 July 2026

Definition of complementary

Noun

Then, display them loosely in a suet feeder where nesting birds can easily spot and gather them up.

— Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 20 July 2026
These trees naturally have shallow feeder root systems, and as the tree ages and grows, these roots thicken and break through the surface.

— SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 19 July 2026

Definition of feeder

Browse Nearby Words

tributaries

tributary

tribute

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Tributary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tributary. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of tributary

noun

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on tributary

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

spindrift

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly

Popular in Wordplay

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes