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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Recent Examples of headwater
This includes a 3,118-foot peak, 16 headwater streams and stunning views of the French Broad River Valley, the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy reports.
—
Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 1 Apr. 2026
The stream flows north 17 miles from its headwaters just south of Ray Lake Forest Preserve, near Wauconda, through Long Lake and then into Fox Lake.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
The headwaters of the Colorado River are among the nation's driest places.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026
What was already a dismal snowpack in the river’s Rocky Mountain headwaters has begun melting early, with little prospect for replacement from major snowstorms.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for headwater
Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 1 Apr. 2026
The stream flows north 17 miles from its headwaters just south of Ray Lake Forest Preserve, near Wauconda, through Long Lake and then into Fox Lake.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
The headwaters of the Colorado River are among the nation's driest places.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026
What was already a dismal snowpack in the river’s Rocky Mountain headwaters has begun melting early, with little prospect for replacement from major snowstorms.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for headwater
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headwater
Noun
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Recent water, fish and sediment samples from Mekong tributaries had high levels of dangerous heavy metals, such as arsenic, mercury, lead and cadmium, from rare earth mining, said Warakorn Maneechuket, a researcher at Thailand’s Naresuan University.—
Anton L. Delgado,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
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Explore the Paraná’s tributaries in the hotel’s launch.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Bo Erickson | Reuters A source who was attending the event, and was briefed by Secret Service after the shooting, told CNBC’s Eamon Javers that a man with a shotgun had approached metal detectors and was shot by Secret Service agents.—
Kevin Breuninger,
CNBC,
26 Apr. 2026
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David Rubenstein, principal owner of the Baltimore Orioles, was also among the guests, sources told Candy Woodall of Spotlight on Maryland.—
Bridget Byrne,
Baltimore Sun,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Headwater.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headwater. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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