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the Erie Canal was superseded by a much larger waterway, the New York State Barge Canal
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Recent Examples of waterways
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
Jakarta authorities have responded with mass removals, targeting the janitor fish in city waterways.
—ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
During heavy rain, sewage can overflow into waterways, exposing people to toxic chemicals and harmful bacteria.
—Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 24 Apr. 2026
Straits are narrow waterways that link two larger bodies of water.
—Scott Spires, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
The waterways dried up repeatedly throughout Mars' history, causing clay to form.
—Paloma Chavez, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
Luxury yachters, kayakers, and recreational fishermen routinely navigate these waterways without knowing their connection to enslavement.
—Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026
The nutria has been a highly destructive rodent that poses a threat to the state’s agriculture and waterways.
—Samantha Lee, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
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
Jakarta authorities have responded with mass removals, targeting the janitor fish in city waterways.
—ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
During heavy rain, sewage can overflow into waterways, exposing people to toxic chemicals and harmful bacteria.
—Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 24 Apr. 2026
Straits are narrow waterways that link two larger bodies of water.
—Scott Spires, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
The waterways dried up repeatedly throughout Mars' history, causing clay to form.
—Paloma Chavez, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
Luxury yachters, kayakers, and recreational fishermen routinely navigate these waterways without knowing their connection to enslavement.
—Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026
The nutria has been a highly destructive rodent that poses a threat to the state’s agriculture and waterways.
—Samantha Lee, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waterways
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
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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
-
Picnic in the shadow of ancient aqueducts.—
Laura Itzkowitz,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Mar. 2026
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Students learn how their water travels from the Sierra Nevada through reservoirs, pipes and aqueducts to finally end up in their homes.—
Molly McCrea,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Waterways.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waterways. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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