plural debris
də-ˈbrēz 
dā-ˈbrēz,
ˈdā-ˌbrēz,
British usually ˈde-(ˌ)brēz
1
: the remains of something broken down or destroyed
digging through the storm's debris in search of survivors
sifted through the debris of her broken marriage
2
geology
: an accumulation of fragments of rock
3
: something discarded : rubbish
picking up debris after the parade
Synonyms
Examples of debris in a Sentence
After the earthquake, rescuers began digging through the debris in search of survivors.
Everything was covered by dust and debris.
Recent Examples on the Web
Dive teams have recovered 55 of the 67 crash victims from the debris in the Potomac River, officials said.
—
Alexandra Banner, CNN, 3 Feb. 2025
There is a small chance that the area around the Eaton fire could get rainfall rates that could run the risk of concerning mudslides and debris flow, according to Schoenfeld.
—Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2025
On Monday, several cranes could be seen lifting large pieces of debris, including what appeared to be a jet engine and a section of the plane's fuselage.
—Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 3 Feb. 2025
The victim undresses while standing on a sheet of paper that is meant to catch hair, fibres, and debris that could be evidence.
—Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for debris 
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Alexandra Banner, CNN, 3 Feb. 2025
There is a small chance that the area around the Eaton fire could get rainfall rates that could run the risk of concerning mudslides and debris flow, according to Schoenfeld.
—Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2025
On Monday, several cranes could be seen lifting large pieces of debris, including what appeared to be a jet engine and a section of the plane's fuselage.
—Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 3 Feb. 2025
The victim undresses while standing on a sheet of paper that is meant to catch hair, fibres, and debris that could be evidence.
—Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for debris
Dictionary Entries Near debris
Cite this Entry
“Debris.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/debris. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
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Medical Definition
debris
noun
de·bris
də-ˈbrē, dā-ˈ, ˈdā-ˌ, British usually ˈdeb-(ˌ)rē
plural debris
: organic waste from dead or damaged tissue
a wound obscured by blood and debris—Emergency Medicine
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