1
a
: broken fragments (as of rock) resulting from the decay or destruction of a building
fortifications knocked into rubble—
C. S. Forester
C. S. Forester
b
: a miscellaneous confused mass or group of usually broken or worthless things
2
: waterworn or rough broken stones or bricks used in coarse masonry or in filling courses of walls
3
: rough stone as it comes from the quarry
Examples of rubble in a Sentence
Noun
Rescue workers managed to pull two injured people out of the rubble.
The earthquake reduced the whole town to rubble.
Recent Examples on the Web
Britt Clennett, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2025
Three months later, with the rubble of the World Trade Center still smoldering, Mayor-elect Mike Bloomberg called.
—Dr. Tom Frieden, Time, 30 Sep. 2025
Authorities continue to scour the rubble to gather evidence, including searching for clues on the cause of the fire that engulfed the complex, a law enforcement source briefed on the investigation told CNN.
—Holly Yan, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
Russia launched its first major wave of missile and drone strikes on Ukraine in nearly a month, pounding sites across the country on Sunday and leaving Kyiv hardest hit as rescue workers scrambled to pull people from the rubble.
—Rebecca Rosman, NPR, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rubble
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Noun
At least three students are dead and dozens of others may be trapped in the rubble following the collapse at the Al Khoziny boarding school in Sidoarjo, a town about 780 km east of Jakarta, federal emergency officials said.
—Britt Clennett, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2025
Three months later, with the rubble of the World Trade Center still smoldering, Mayor-elect Mike Bloomberg called.
—Dr. Tom Frieden, Time, 30 Sep. 2025
Authorities continue to scour the rubble to gather evidence, including searching for clues on the cause of the fire that engulfed the complex, a law enforcement source briefed on the investigation told CNN.
—Holly Yan, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
Russia launched its first major wave of missile and drone strikes on Ukraine in nearly a month, pounding sites across the country on Sunday and leaving Kyiv hardest hit as rescue workers scrambled to pull people from the rubble.
—Rebecca Rosman, NPR, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rubble
Cite this Entry
“Rubble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rubble. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
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