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
The historic flow of the Colorado River extended from the headwaters in Colorado to the Gulf of California in the Mexican state of Sonora — but that flow now tapers near the border.
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Sharon Udasin, The Hill, 24 Mar. 2025
These projects manage most of the major reservoirs on the western side of the Sierra Nevada range, from the headwaters of the San Joaquin River to Shasta on the Sacramento River in the state’s far north.
—Tom Philp, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2025
At the base of the South Cumberland Plateau, near the headwaters of the Elk River, this is some lush territory.
—Colleen Creamer, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2025
The city paid $750,000. 1 of 2 Since the flood, the water district was ordered by federal regulators to drain Anderson Reservoir, the largest in the county, which sits near the headwaters of Coyote Creek, and rebuild its 240-foot-high earthen dam.
—Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for headwater
Sharon Udasin, The Hill, 24 Mar. 2025
These projects manage most of the major reservoirs on the western side of the Sierra Nevada range, from the headwaters of the San Joaquin River to Shasta on the Sacramento River in the state’s far north.
—Tom Philp, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2025
At the base of the South Cumberland Plateau, near the headwaters of the Elk River, this is some lush territory.
—Colleen Creamer, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2025
The city paid $750,000. 1 of 2 Since the flood, the water district was ordered by federal regulators to drain Anderson Reservoir, the largest in the county, which sits near the headwaters of Coyote Creek, and rebuild its 240-foot-high earthen dam.
—Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for headwater
Cite this Entry
“Headwater.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headwater. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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