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
The casualty numbers seemed certain to rise as officials reported that more than 200 people were trapped in debris and at least 157 were missing.
—
Mery Mogollón,
Los Angeles Times,
25 June 2026
Meanwhile, in cities across northern Venezuela, panicked residents poured into the streets and searched for the missing in the debris.
—
Megan Janetsky,
Chicago Tribune,
25 June 2026
Don’t miss out on the Dyson V8 Cordless Vacuum, which works on carpets and hardwoods to get debris like pet hair and dust up with ease.
—
Madeline Merinuk,
PEOPLE,
25 June 2026
Photos showed collapsed buildings and debris scattered across streets.
—
Minyvonne Burke,
NBC news,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for debris
Mery Mogollón,
Los Angeles Times,
25 June 2026
Meanwhile, in cities across northern Venezuela, panicked residents poured into the streets and searched for the missing in the debris.
—
Megan Janetsky,
Chicago Tribune,
25 June 2026
Don’t miss out on the Dyson V8 Cordless Vacuum, which works on carpets and hardwoods to get debris like pet hair and dust up with ease.
—
Madeline Merinuk,
PEOPLE,
25 June 2026
Photos showed collapsed buildings and debris scattered across streets.
—
Minyvonne Burke,
NBC news,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for debris
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debris
Noun
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Since construction at the Eagle Rock site — so nicknamed after a decrepit colonnade — first stalled in 2008, the only thing that accumulated faster than the garbage and graffiti were the epithets from outraged community members.
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Relying Too Much On Garbage Disposals Though the name may be deceiving, garbage disposals aren’t actually designed to dispose of all garbage.
Noun
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Some held torches to light the way as floodlights appeared to illuminate the rubble against the darkness of night.
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Rescuers have fanned out across La Guaira, where the worst destruction occurred, and parts of Caracas, where families and volunteers have spent days pulling survivors and victims from the rubble.
Noun
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In the 1980s, the Friends of the LA River pushed to address street runoff and trash that had made the water body infamous.
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In the city of Miami, improperly disposing trash — like taking the trash from one of your homes and throwing it away in another of your property’s bins — can result in a $525 fine.
Noun
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Yet the praise for Alcock feels like watching a plane crash and seeing just one person get miraculously thrown clear of the wreckage without a scratch.
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Many Venezuelans were combing through wreckage in search of loved ones, while others turned to social media in an effort to find relatives and friends who had vanished in the disaster.
Noun
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Considered rare in the cosmos, super-puffs are thought to form around the disk of gas and dust around a newborn star where there is more gas than dust.
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The dust-ups might have driven the Honeywells away from their island paradise, more casualties of the lottery curse.
Noun
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Unable to leave, residents rely on each other In another neighborhood, a view of the brilliant deep blue of the Mediterranean, a block away, framed the ruins of what had been a famous creamery – Karrit Ice Cream.
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And then the next issue became the funeral, instead of just Scott and Jean hanging out in the ruins.
Noun
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So where does the rubbish come from?
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With no petrol to run dustbin trucks, rubbish is being burnt in the streets.
Noun
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How to handle political texts safely If the texts continue, block the sender and report the message as junk.
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Get creative There are no rules to junk journaling.
Cite this Entry
“Debris.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debris. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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