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
Literary Hub, 2 Feb. 2026
The Gaza Health Ministry currently reports 71,667 deaths, including more than 450 since the October 2025 ceasefire, though Israeli officials said the estimate does not include bodies believed to be buried under rubble.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 31 Jan. 2026
Some people were trapped under the rubble as Israeli strikes targeted shelters, tents for displaced people, residential apartments and a police station, the spokesperson, Basal, said.
—Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 31 Jan. 2026
And now Tom Pohlad is expecting a competitive team to be built from that rubble while simultaneously slashing payroll by another $30 million.
—Aaron Gleeman, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rubble
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Following the 1967 war, a rope of asphalt had replaced the rubble and barbed wire, meandering through the city like an unwanted river.
—Literary Hub, 2 Feb. 2026
The Gaza Health Ministry currently reports 71,667 deaths, including more than 450 since the October 2025 ceasefire, though Israeli officials said the estimate does not include bodies believed to be buried under rubble.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 31 Jan. 2026
Some people were trapped under the rubble as Israeli strikes targeted shelters, tents for displaced people, residential apartments and a police station, the spokesperson, Basal, said.
—Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 31 Jan. 2026
And now Tom Pohlad is expecting a competitive team to be built from that rubble while simultaneously slashing payroll by another $30 million.
—Aaron Gleeman, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rubble
Cite this Entry
“Rubble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rubble. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
