as in tributary
usually headwaters plural
the beginning part of a stream
the first exploration of the Missouri River from its mouth to its headwaters was made by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark in the early 1800s
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of headwater
Gauley River: Threatened by toxic pollution from strip mining for coal in the headwaters.
—
Doyle Rice, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2025
Yet, this same remarkable watershed faces a grave threat: toxic pollution from coal strip mining in the headwaters of the Cherry River, one of the Gauley's primary tributaries.
—Li Cohen, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2025
Below the surface, a huge groundwater resource flows into the nearby springs that feed the headwaters of the Verde River.
—John Leos, The Arizona Republic, 2 Dec. 2024
Northern areas of Colorado — including on the Yampa River and near the Colorado River’s headwaters north of Kremmling — have above-normal snowpack.
—Elise Schmelzer, The Denver Post, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for headwater
Doyle Rice, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2025
Yet, this same remarkable watershed faces a grave threat: toxic pollution from coal strip mining in the headwaters of the Cherry River, one of the Gauley's primary tributaries.
—Li Cohen, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2025
Below the surface, a huge groundwater resource flows into the nearby springs that feed the headwaters of the Verde River.
—John Leos, The Arizona Republic, 2 Dec. 2024
Northern areas of Colorado — including on the Yampa River and near the Colorado River’s headwaters north of Kremmling — have above-normal snowpack.
—Elise Schmelzer, The Denver Post, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for headwater
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headwater
Noun
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Best of all was hitting 4-iron off the pine straw on the par-5 13th that narrowly cleared the tributary of Rae’s Creek and set up a 10-foot eagle.—
Doug Ferguson,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Apr. 2025
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In November, the U.S. and Mexico signed the Minute 331 agreement, which focused on improving the reliability of Rio Grande water deliveries — in part by suggesting two alternative tributaries through which the transfers could occur.—
Sharon Udasin,
The Hill,
29 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Yerevan has since sought to diversify its defense sources, reducing arms imports from Russia to as low as 10 percent by 2024.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
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Climate change and shifting food sources are also causing species-wide population declines, the experts said.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
8 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Headwater.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headwater. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.
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