1
as in streams
a passageway for water
A fallen tree branch was floating down the river.
Related Words
Relevance
2
as in floods
an overwhelming flow or rush of something
Jet streams can be thought of as giant rivers of air that circulate around the globe. He was overwhelmed by the river of new information that the document dump provided.
Related Words
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 rivers
Traditional-style longboats cruise the rivers while skyscrapers with rooftop bars offer stunning views of the temples at night.
—
Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2026
Unlike freshwater lakes, which drain through rivers or streams, salt lakes have no outlet to the sea.
—Rosa Lyster, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
Paducah, Kentucky Paducah and the small towns that surround it offer up fun on the area's many lakes and rivers.
—Carolanne Griffith Roberts, Southern Living, 25 Apr. 2026
The Quinnipiac, Mill, and West rivers are not part of the improvement effort.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 25 Apr. 2026
Theron, meanwhile, hurls herself into the sinewy action sequences that have increasingly been her home turf over the past two decades, flinging herself down hills and into rivers and navigating some precarious rock-climbing terrain.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026
Best Hikes Luss Heritage Trail Beginning and ending in the pretty village of Luss, the Luss Heritage Trail passes historic cemeteries, churches, and stone cottages while meandering along rivers and through woodland.
—Andrea Bussell, Travel + Leisure, 24 Apr. 2026
Spring rains and winter snowmelt have swelled rivers and lakes, forcing torrents of water through Cheboygan County communities on its way to Lake Huron.
—Sarah Brumfield, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
As water levels in area rivers kept rising over the weekend, the ripple effects of the severe storms are continuing into this week.
—Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2026
Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2026
Unlike freshwater lakes, which drain through rivers or streams, salt lakes have no outlet to the sea.
—Rosa Lyster, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
Paducah, Kentucky Paducah and the small towns that surround it offer up fun on the area's many lakes and rivers.
—Carolanne Griffith Roberts, Southern Living, 25 Apr. 2026
The Quinnipiac, Mill, and West rivers are not part of the improvement effort.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 25 Apr. 2026
Theron, meanwhile, hurls herself into the sinewy action sequences that have increasingly been her home turf over the past two decades, flinging herself down hills and into rivers and navigating some precarious rock-climbing terrain.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026
Best Hikes Luss Heritage Trail Beginning and ending in the pretty village of Luss, the Luss Heritage Trail passes historic cemeteries, churches, and stone cottages while meandering along rivers and through woodland.
—Andrea Bussell, Travel + Leisure, 24 Apr. 2026
Spring rains and winter snowmelt have swelled rivers and lakes, forcing torrents of water through Cheboygan County communities on its way to Lake Huron.
—Sarah Brumfield, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
As water levels in area rivers kept rising over the weekend, the ripple effects of the severe storms are continuing into this week.
—Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rivers
Noun
-
Similarly, there were thoughts of perhaps creating large canals in the Sahara Desert filled with kerosene, then torched to flash a similar transmission from the dark side of Earth, the METI expert explained.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Set the scene From Prinsengracht, one of the four main canals that make up Amsterdam's winding waterway network, Rosewood Amsterdam cuts an imposing figure.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Haiti’s recent catastrophic floods have only compounded the country’s overlapping crises.—
Hira Humayun,
CNN Money,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The camp plans to implement emergency training and drills for floods, fire and other disasters, but investigators found the lack of previous training was key in the deaths.—
Jim Vertuno,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Tucked between multiple waterways surrounding Christiansted, the island’s capital city, Undercover Books makes a concerted effort to offer its visitors more than escapism.—
Kat Chen,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Reznik said while the San Gabriel River system and adjacent spreading grounds, stretching from Irwindale to Long Beach, work exceptionally well, capturing 90% of the local runoff that percolates into underground basins for later use, that’s not true of some other waterways in the county.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Even after the leaks were plugged with cement, rivulets of oil persisted for months, and the oil spill’s ecological and cultural impacts lasted even longer.—
Jeffrey Marlow,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Hot stones are added, one by one, as the air inside gets heavier, the heat searing the nose and the throat, the sweat starting in rivulets that turn into streams as the smell gets more intense, the heartbeat swells, the mind races.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
At the same time, there are riparian natives — those that grow along watercourses — which may need regular attention in terms of water needs for many years after planting.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rivers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rivers. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
