Euphrates

American  

[yoo-frey-teez] / juˈfreɪ tiz /

noun

1. a river in SW Asia, flowing from E Turkey through Syria and Iraq, joining the Tigris to form the Shatt-al-Arab near the Persian Gulf. 1,700 miles (2,735 km) long.

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Euphrates British  

/ juːˈfreɪtiːz /

noun

1. a river in SW Asia, rising in E Turkey and flowing south across Syria and Iraq to join the Tigris, forming the Shatt-al-Arab, which flows to the head of the Persian Gulf: important in ancient times for the extensive irrigation of its valley (in Mesopotamia). Length: 3598 km (2235 miles)

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Other Word Forms

• Euphratean
  adjective
• trans-Euphrates
  adjective

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Euphrates

The energy ministry also said it closed one of the spillways from the Euphrates Dam which it had previously opened in to help reduce the flows.

From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026

No official Turkish position has been issued regarding coordination with Damascus on the rising water level of the Euphrates.

From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026

Earlier, the army took the strategic Tabqa dam on the Euphrates river.

From BBC ● Jan. 30, 2026

A separate offensive by government forces seized control of a major dam on the Euphrates river.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 24, 2026

It consisted of a series of four brick terraces, rising above the Euphrates River, with lush flowering shrubs and trees spilling over the city.

From "The Annotated Mona Lisa" by Carol Strickland and John Boswell