1
as in garbage
discarded or useless material
the unsightly debris left after mining operations had ceased
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rubble
the portion or bits of something left over or behind after it has been destroyed
the demolition workers cleared away all of the debris from the demolished building
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of debris
Some will examine debris piles as they're dismantled by excavators and skid steers.
—
Greg Allen, NPR, 9 July 2025
Each shower returns every year thanks to Earth’s orbit intersecting debris trails left behind by comets.
—Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 8 July 2025
One person was killed in the southern city of Odesa, another person was killed and 71 were injured in northeastern Kharkiv, and falling drone debris caused damage in two districts of Kyiv, the capital, during nighttime drone attacks, Ukrainian authorities said.
—Aamer Madhani, Chicago Tribune, 8 July 2025
Flooding left debris including vehicles and equipment scattered in Louise Hays Park on July 5, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for debris
Greg Allen, NPR, 9 July 2025
Each shower returns every year thanks to Earth’s orbit intersecting debris trails left behind by comets.
—Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 8 July 2025
One person was killed in the southern city of Odesa, another person was killed and 71 were injured in northeastern Kharkiv, and falling drone debris caused damage in two districts of Kyiv, the capital, during nighttime drone attacks, Ukrainian authorities said.
—Aamer Madhani, Chicago Tribune, 8 July 2025
Flooding left debris including vehicles and equipment scattered in Louise Hays Park on July 5, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for debris
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debris
Noun
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Wasps are also scavengers, and they can often be found flying around garbage bins looking for their next meal.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
5 July 2025
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Folsom 4th of July garbage schedule For those living in Folsom, trash and waste pickup will continue as scheduled, according to the city’s website.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
Updated July 2,
Sacbee.com,
2 July 2025
Noun
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The Palestinian health ministry reported Sunday that 139 bodies had been brought to Gaza hospitals in the past 24 hours, with a number of victims still under the rubble.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
14 July 2025
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For 21 months, Israeli armed forces have been bombing Gaza into a landscape of rubble and buried corpses—a massively disproportionate retaliation for the Hamas attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, that killed over 1,200 Israelis.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 July 2025
Noun
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Multiple attachments also come with your purchase (a crevice tool and a pet multi tool), which help to tackle dust in hard-to-reach areas in your home.—
Izzy Baskette,
People.com,
5 July 2025
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Wildfires, blowing dust and ozone are all sources of dangerous air pollution that can trigger breathing difficulties and other health issues.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 July 2025
Noun
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Authorities were notified of a midair collision in an area just south of Steinbach shortly before 9 a.m. RCMP, fire crews, and emergency medical services responded to the scene and located the wreckage of two small single-engine aircraft.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
9 July 2025
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The National Transportation Safety Board stated that an investigator was expected to arrive at the crash site on Tuesday and that the wreckage would be transported to a facility for further analysis.—
Dan Gooding
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 July 2025
Noun
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Leftover Paint If there are half-empty cans of leftover paint sitting on your garage shelves, avoid throwing them in the trash.—
Maria Sabella,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 July 2025
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Infected debris should be disposed of in the trash, never added to the compost pile.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
12 July 2025
Noun
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North Korea has responded to previous balloon campaigns with fiery rhetoric and other shows of anger, and last year the country launched its own balloons across the border, dumping rubbish on various South Korean sites, including the presidential compound.—
Hyung-Jin Kim,
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2025
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They were were found beneath a pile of rubbish heaped just inside her front door, according to a police report released Wednesday.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
19 June 2025
Noun
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Her memories — of swap meet stalls, junk drawers and family hustle — form the scaffolding of the exhibit and current events its backdrop.—
Hanna Kang,
Oc Register,
9 July 2025
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Minimize junk in the trunk: Reducing any vehicle’s weight is the easiest way to boost its efficiency.—
Jim Gorzelany,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
Noun
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Acqua e Farina is no stranger to Yelp honors: In 2023, the modest pizza truck parked in a warehouse district in Kendall was named one of the top 10 pizza restaurants in the country.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
11 July 2025
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During this arrival, Humane Society volunteers crowded around the plane, hauling crate after crate from the conveyor belt to trucks.—
Samara Gerstle,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debris.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debris. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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