rubble

1 of 2

noun

rub·​ble ˈrə-bəl 

1

a

: broken fragments (as of rock) resulting from the decay or destruction of a building

… fortifications knocked into rubble.

—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

rubble

2 of 2

verb

rubbled; rubbling ˈrə-b(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

: to reduce to rubble

Synonyms of rubble

Noun

• debris
• wreckage
• ruins
• remains
• ashes

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

Noun

There is no construction equipment to clear the rubble in Gaza. — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026

Houses that once sheltered families have been reduced to concrete and rubble. — Diego Ibarra Sánchez, NPR, 19 Sep. 2026

The new stadium has a capacity of just over 60,000, about 12,000 less than the old facility which now lies in rubble across the street. — CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026

A number of people are thought to still be missing beneath the rubble, the health ministry said on Wednesday. — Morgan Winsor, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English robyl

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1944, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for rubble

• bubble
• double
• stubble
• trouble
• redouble

Kids Definition

rubble

noun

rub·​ble

ˈrəb-əl

1

: rough broken stones or bricks used in building

2

: a confused mass of rough or broken things