tributary 1 of 2

noun

ˈtri-byə-ˌter-ē How to pronounce tributary (audio)
Definition of tributarynext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

tributary

2 of 2

adjective

as in subordinate

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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
History of Belden Belden was built upon a tributary of the Feather River in the early 1900s, as the Western Pacific Railroad laid its tracks across Northern California. — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 22 Sep. 2026 The Middle Patuxent River runs through the property from north to south, fed by numerous tributary streams. — Susan Soldavin, Baltimore Sun, 20 Sep. 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
  1. headwater
  2. subordinate
  3. branch
  4. assistant
  5. bayou
  6. complementary
  7. feeder
  8. contributory
Noun
  • Congress rolled back protections for the Boundary Waters, opening the door to mining in its headwaters.
    — Mary Beth Laughton, Time, 14 Oct. 2026
  • According to the post, Kentucky State Police Aviation saw smoke in the area, and wardens and search and rescue personnel were able to access the location, near the headwaters of Cave Run Lake, using a boat.
    — Caroline Neal, Louisville Courier Journal, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of headwater
Adjective
  • Those objectives must remain subordinate to safety and security constraints.
    — Gregory Shahnovsky, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Companies are rethinking the meaning of a subordinate Tyler Derr, CTO at Broadridge, is already thinking about the AI impact on the manager’s role.
    — Keith Ferrazzi, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of subordinate
Noun
  • Delete an unused import, flag, branch, endpoint or dependency, or eliminate a comment, test or workaround that no longer reflects reality.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Benson says her achievements in her current role as secretary of state include upgrades to online services, cutting average wait times of in-person visits and creating self-service stations at branch offices and grocery stores.
    — Karma Sabbah, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of branch
Adjective
  • After spending years as an assistant football coach at Sylmar and San Fernando, Boo Williams arrived at Sun Valley Poly this season with a mission to turn around a program that always seemed to have talent but rarely put together many victories.
    — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The data showed that principals often earn from $158,000 to $186,000 per year, while assistant principals were generally paid $150,000 to $179,000.
    — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of assistant
Noun
  • Jody enjoys new experiences, cooking, running bayou trails and her goofy golden retriever, Poppy.
    — Jody Schmal, Houston Chronicle, 30 Sep. 2026
  • There are Resident Evil games set in Spanish castles, runaway trains, ocean liners, weird mansions, the bayou, and strange theme-park-like villages, with bespoke creatures in each.
    — Joshua Rivera, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of bayou
Adjective
  • Silver Mirror recommends three Volmira visits, one a month, followed by three months of complementary facials, then repeating the cycle.
    — Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Combining several complementary signals could deliver greater benefits.
    — Mike McRae October 09, New Atlas, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of complementary
Noun
  • Only some regional operators have continued sporadic services, generally using smaller feeder vessels.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The experiment started with one bee flying to a specialized feeder.
    — Marta Hill, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of feeder
Adjective
  • Alzheimer’s disease was a significant contributory factor in Hackman’s death.
    — Evan Bush, NBC news, 4 May 2026
  • In trademark law, there is contributory liability in two different circumstances.
    — Jess Collen, Forbes.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Definition of contributory

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Cite this Entry

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

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