sources 1 of 2

noun

plural of source
1
as in origins
a point or place at which something is invented or provided we were uncertain as to the source of the rumors a source of inspiration

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in headwaters
the beginning part of a stream 19th-century explorers who sought the source of the Nile

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in references
something mentioned in a text as providing related and especially supporting information the professor asked the students to have at least five different sources for their papers

Synonyms & Similar Words

sources

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of source
as in documents

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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 sources
Noun
Renewable energy credits serve as proof that a company uses electricity from clean energy sources like solar farms, according to the Retail Energy Supply Association. — Sydney Sasser, Arkansas Online, 1 Sep. 2026 Other dark leafy greens, such as Swiss chard and collard greens, are good sources, too. — Jo Ann Liguori, Flow Space, 31 Aug. 2026 How experts can earn trust Experts cannot assume that others see them as trustworthy or that people will pay attention to them while ignoring sources who have demonstrated other aspects of trustworthiness. — John C. Besley, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026 Larger, older cities toward the core of the Phoenix metro tend to have more taxpayers, deeper pockets, larger staffs and a long history of securing access to different sources of water. — Alex Hager, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026 Neutrinos, which are produced in the sun as well as other astrophysical sources and are constantly zipping through the Earth, are notoriously difficult to measure. — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 31 Aug. 2026 Anthropic closely guards its training data sources, but music publishers think the court should require more transparency. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2026 Under the legal framework, casualties are expected, since a non-lethal option is not considered possible, the sources said. — Laura Romero, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026 However, royal sources speculate that the couple is less than thrilled. — Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 24 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sources
  1. origins
  2. headwaters
  3. references
  4. documents
  5. fountains
  6. tributaries
  7. authorities
  8. roots
Noun
  • Norway’s monarchy has old roots, tracing its origins to King Harald Fairhair in the ninth century.
    — Jan M. Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Others turn them off to disguise the origins of the shipment.
    — Jane Arraf, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of origins
Noun
  • Clear Creek County Commissioner George Marlin makes a compelling case that alone, his small county of about 9,000 residents could never fund the mitigation needed to protect the headwaters of Clear Creek.
    — Megan Schrader, Denver Post, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The agreement was made at a time when the region had a smaller population and benefited from wetter years, with much more snow to feed the river’s headwaters in the Rocky Mountains.
    — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of headwaters
Noun
  • What would have taken a novice lapsed coder like me hours of time struggling with physics models and code references was already in a functional, ready-to-test state with minimal effort.
    — Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2026
  • GPTZero investigation published 14 May 2026 found 16 of 27 citations fabricated, misattributed, or broken, including references to Forbes, McKinsey, Gartner, TechCrunch, and WIRED.
    — Ted Ladd, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of references
Verb
  • Alone in her tiny studio apartment, Sarah-Jane Hoadley regularly documents her life as a single woman in her 40s with no friends.
    — Amen Galinato, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The accomplished small firm was rather inexplicably the sole Chicago firm featured in a new book by former Architectural Record editors that documents design-savvy designers between the coasts.
    — Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of documents
Noun
  • The fountains in front of Union Station also had pink and yellow lighting.
    — Joseph Hernandez August 26, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Galileo observed high-temperature lava fountains at the volcanic center.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of fountains
Noun
  • That allowed sea water to infiltrate freshwater tributaries across the peninsula, especially in lagoons and deltas where clam and mussel farms provided ample prey.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Wildlife managers and volunteers will be closing more than 14 miles of stream and tributaries in Rocky Mountain National Park on Monday to start a weeklong operation meant to clear new habitat for Colorado's state fish.
    — Logan Smith, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of tributaries
Noun
  • The driver of the Mercedes-Benz remained at the scene until authorities arrived.
    — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Two people were stabbed, one fatally, near Times Square on Monday afternoon, with responding authorities shooting and killing the female suspect, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of authorities
Noun
  • Over the next several decades, Mexican American families poured in and set down roots.
    — Marissa J. Lang, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Norway’s monarchy has old roots, tracing its origins to King Harald Fairhair in the ninth century.
    — Jan M. Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of roots

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Cite this Entry

“Sources.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sources. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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