riverbank

noun

riv·​er·​bank ˈri-vər-ˌbaŋk How to pronounce riverbank (audio)
Synonyms of riverbanknext
: the bank of a river

Examples of riverbank in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Trying to allay other concerns, officials say sand for concrete used in the construction will come from an artificial lake, not the Mekong river, where sand mining has worsened riverbank erosion and altered its stream. — ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026 Homes are close together, built into riverbanks and overhung with trees. — Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026 They were stranded on the riverbanks for weeks without proper sanitation, prompting a rotavirus outbreak. — Gabriela Sá Pessoa, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026 Deciduous trees the color of fresh green apples line the riverbank, then dot the vast expanses of conifer forest that stretch up into the hills. — Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for riverbank

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1522, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of riverbank was circa 1522

Rhymes for riverbank

See All Rhymes for riverbank

Browse Nearby Words

river ash
riverbank
riverbank grape
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Riverbank.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/riverbank. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

riverbank

noun
riv·​er·​bank ˈriv-ər-ˌbaŋk How to pronounce riverbank (audio)
: the bank of a river

More from Merriam-Webster on riverbank

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for riverbank

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All