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
Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
Within days of the demolition's start, the entire east side of the White House property — including the First Lady's Office, the East Colonnade, the White House Family Theater, the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden and historic magnolia trees — had been turned to rubble.
—Kyler Alvord, PEOPLE, 31 Dec. 2025
Above it, a large banner featured a photo of dark silhouettes walking on a dirt road between the rubble of what seemed to have once been buildings.
—Emily Wilder, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
But his direct gaze, furrowed brow and serious demeanor stand out, as does the rubble behind him.
—Michal Ruprecht, NPR, 28 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rubble
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Noun
Squat piles of rubble dotted the lots.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
Within days of the demolition's start, the entire east side of the White House property — including the First Lady's Office, the East Colonnade, the White House Family Theater, the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden and historic magnolia trees — had been turned to rubble.
—Kyler Alvord, PEOPLE, 31 Dec. 2025
Above it, a large banner featured a photo of dark silhouettes walking on a dirt road between the rubble of what seemed to have once been buildings.
—Emily Wilder, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
But his direct gaze, furrowed brow and serious demeanor stand out, as does the rubble behind him.
—Michal Ruprecht, NPR, 28 Dec. 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 8 Jan. 2026.
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