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

Syrian authorities have said the country was experiencing an "exceptional" rise in water levels along the Euphrates River, which originates in Turkey and flows through the Raqa and Deir Ezzor provinces before reaching neighbouring Iraq.

From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026

Dozens of residents crossed the Euphrates in boats after two bridges were destroyed, while residents toppled a statue of a woman erected by Kurdish forces.

From Barron's ● Jan. 19, 2026

The push came after the SDF announced it would redeploy east of the Euphrates, following deadly clashes last week.

From BBC ● Jan. 18, 2026

The Syrian military said Sunday that it was in control of the Euphrates Dam and that government technicians were moving in to hand control of its water and hydroelectric facilities to the government in Damascus.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 18, 2026

Project number one: we’ll be making a relief map of the Tigris and Euphrates river basin.

From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina