confluent

Definition of confluentnext
as in tributary
a stream that flows into a larger body of water several confluents slowly winding their way to the main river

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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 confluent Scholars have proposed different culprits, including malignant confluent smallpox whose symptoms include not only the headache, spots, and sores but also the yellowing of the skin. — National Geographic, 19 Nov. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confluent
tributary
Noun
  • Salmon born in its tributaries migrate to the ocean, spend years feeding at sea, then return to spawn, linking villages like Rampart to the same waters where the pollock fleet fishes.
    — Annika Hammerschlag, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The team would be making camp at the confluence of the Barrancas and one of its tributaries.
    — Jordan Salama, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Confluent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confluent. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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