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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of debris
Some will examine debris piles as they're dismantled by excavators and skid steers.
—
Greg Allen, NPR, 9 July 2025
Each shower returns every year thanks to Earth’s orbit intersecting debris trails left behind by comets.
—Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 8 July 2025
One person was killed in the southern city of Odesa, another person was killed and 71 were injured in northeastern Kharkiv, and falling drone debris caused damage in two districts of Kyiv, the capital, during nighttime drone attacks, Ukrainian authorities said.
—Aamer Madhani, Chicago Tribune, 8 July 2025
Flooding left debris including vehicles and equipment scattered in Louise Hays Park on July 5, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for debris
Greg Allen, NPR, 9 July 2025
Each shower returns every year thanks to Earth’s orbit intersecting debris trails left behind by comets.
—Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 8 July 2025
One person was killed in the southern city of Odesa, another person was killed and 71 were injured in northeastern Kharkiv, and falling drone debris caused damage in two districts of Kyiv, the capital, during nighttime drone attacks, Ukrainian authorities said.
—Aamer Madhani, Chicago Tribune, 8 July 2025
Flooding left debris including vehicles and equipment scattered in Louise Hays Park on July 5, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for debris
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debris
Noun
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Another item that is often forgotten is garbage bags for collecting waste along the way, especially when passing through remote areas without public bins.—
Dianne Plummer,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
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The Bureau of Rodent Control has been increasing collaboration with the Bureau of Sanitation to replace faulty garbage carts, which rats can exploit to obtain more food.—
William Tong,
Chicago Tribune,
12 July 2025
Noun
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The Palestinian health ministry reported Sunday that 139 bodies had been brought to Gaza hospitals in the past 24 hours, with a number of victims still under the rubble.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
14 July 2025
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For 21 months, Israeli armed forces have been bombing Gaza into a landscape of rubble and buried corpses—a massively disproportionate retaliation for the Hamas attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, that killed over 1,200 Israelis.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 July 2025
Noun
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That’s because adult birds need water for drinking and bathing (though some birds do take dust baths!).—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
15 July 2025
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Here, modernist cocktails made with hickory bark cordial, vermouth caramel, and tomato dust come served in glass ice cream cones or ceramic faces or topped with edible ink.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
14 July 2025
Noun
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Authorities were notified of a midair collision in an area just south of Steinbach shortly before 9 a.m. RCMP, fire crews, and emergency medical services responded to the scene and located the wreckage of two small single-engine aircraft.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
9 July 2025
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The content may be used in future stories depicting the wreckage in central Texas as communities continue to grapple with the tragedy.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
8 July 2025
Noun
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Leftover Paint If there are half-empty cans of leftover paint sitting on your garage shelves, avoid throwing them in the trash.—
Maria Sabella,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 July 2025
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Infected debris should be disposed of in the trash, never added to the compost pile.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
12 July 2025
Noun
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North Korea has responded to previous balloon campaigns with fiery rhetoric and other shows of anger, and last year the country launched its own balloons across the border, dumping rubbish on various South Korean sites, including the presidential compound.—
Hyung-Jin Kim,
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2025
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They were were found beneath a pile of rubbish heaped just inside her front door, according to a police report released Wednesday.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
19 June 2025
Noun
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Her memories — of swap meet stalls, junk drawers and family hustle — form the scaffolding of the exhibit and current events its backdrop.—
Hanna Kang,
Oc Register,
9 July 2025
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Minimize junk in the trunk: Reducing any vehicle’s weight is the easiest way to boost its efficiency.—
Jim Gorzelany,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
Noun
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Acqua e Farina is no stranger to Yelp honors: In 2023, the modest pizza truck parked in a warehouse district in Kendall was named one of the top 10 pizza restaurants in the country.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
11 July 2025
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During this arrival, Humane Society volunteers crowded around the plane, hauling crate after crate from the conveyor belt to trucks.—
Samara Gerstle,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debris.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debris. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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