Thesaurus results for WATERWAYS

waterways

noun

plural of waterway

as in canals

an open man-made passageway for water the Erie Canal was superseded by a much larger waterway, the New York State Barge Canal

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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 waterways The Strait of Hormuz, which remains one of the most critical strategic waterways for global trade flows, saw oil exports hit a wartime record on Monday with more than 17 million barrels daily, Energy Secretary Chris Wright told CNBC. — Justina Lee, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026 But arrest affidavits accuse the parents of diverting authorities away from the South Carolina waterways during the search. — Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 3 Sep. 2026 Major rainfall flooding could prompt evacuations and rescues, the weather service said, and waterways could overflow their banks. — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026 The canal is a federal Superfund site regarded as one of the most toxic waterways in the country, though a long-term cleanup is underway. — ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026 Overfertilization is a common problem that has far-reaching adverse environmental effects, from groundwater contamination to degradation of waterways. — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Sep. 2026 The Sheriff’s Office patrols the Chain, with 6,000 acres and 15 lakes that are interconnected navigable waterways, along with the county portion of the Fox River and 26 miles of the Lake Michigan shoreline. — Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026 The rupture released a torrent of ice, mud, rock, and water that built up and then burst through the region’s narrow valleys and waterways. — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026 If the closure of the region’s waterways and the drying up of hydrocarbon exports become a lasting norm, that deal may come under strain. — Dina Esfandiary, Foreign Affairs, 27 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for waterways

Noun

The Central Arizona Project — a system of canals and pumps which carry Colorado River water 336 miles across the desert to the Phoenix and Tucson areas — will be hit the hardest by new cuts.

— Alex Hager, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026
With art storage facilities, galleries, and museums clustered along its canals, Tennoz is one of Tokyo’s leading art districts.

— The Editors of ARTnews, ARTnews.com, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of canals

Noun

The update will set rules for the Sacramento River and the rest of the Delta, where pumps operated by state and federal agencies send water flowing in aqueducts to farms and cities.

— Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Roman aqueducts Aqueducts transported water from distant sources into cities using gravity rather than mechanical pumps.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of aqueducts

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waterway

waterways

watery

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

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Synonyms of waterways

noun

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