as in debris
discarded or useless material
much of the material in the file cabinets is just deadwood
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deadwood
With Rich's ghostly helping hand, Will, Lilly, Ronnie, and Marge are able to plant the dagger in the deadwood's roots, re-lock the cage, and send It back into one of its 27-year hibernation periods.
—
Megan McCluskey, Time, 15 Dec. 2025
The lawsuit states that the branch fell from a tree that was clearly unhealthy, decayed and had deadwood.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Nov. 2025
And some old-growth forests have abundant deadwood, both standing and on the ground, whereas others are kept largely clear of deadwood by frequent fires.
—Reed Frederick Noss, The Conversation, 16 Apr. 2025
But deadwood—and the biodiversity associated with it—has severely declined in many forests worldwide.
—Katarina Zimmer, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deadwood
Megan McCluskey, Time, 15 Dec. 2025
The lawsuit states that the branch fell from a tree that was clearly unhealthy, decayed and had deadwood.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Nov. 2025
And some old-growth forests have abundant deadwood, both standing and on the ground, whereas others are kept largely clear of deadwood by frequent fires.
—Reed Frederick Noss, The Conversation, 16 Apr. 2025
But deadwood—and the biodiversity associated with it—has severely declined in many forests worldwide.
—Katarina Zimmer, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deadwood
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deadwood
Noun
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Images from the scene showed debris scattered across the yard.—
Doug Myers,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
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After a catastrophic debris strike destroys their shuttle during a spacewalk, Sandra Bullock’s astronaut is left untethered, spinning silently against the vastness of space, while George Clooney’s veteran astronaut tries to guide her from a distance.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Unfortunately, the garbage that RFK spewed during his time as a private sector anti-vaccine crusader and is now trying to make government policy has had vaccine skepticism growing nationwide, with deadly consequences.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Mar. 2026
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And loading large garbage bags into Gary's truck.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The study confirmed direct dumping by boats, with evidence of bags full of rubbish thrown overboard.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
10 Mar. 2026
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Researchers found evidence of bags full of rubbish being thrown overboard, identifiable by pile-up patterns on the seabed.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Guardsmen are also carrying out civic duties like picking up trash, tending to landscaping and scrubbing graffiti.—
Steven Beynon,
ABC News,
20 Mar. 2026
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From grimy microwaves to pizza crusts in trash bags, health inspectors in Missouri and Kansas found numerous violations at Kansas City-area restaurants last week.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But ultimately, fans don’t come to the ballpark to watch 3-4 innings of junk balls and 75 MPH batting practice pitches.—
Abbey Mastracco,
Hartford Courant,
23 Mar. 2026
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Hugh Lewis, a space debris expert and professor of astronautics at the UK's University of Birmingham, noted that the orbiting data centers will need to constantly maneuver to avoid hitting space junk and other satellites.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Small space rocks, bits of dust and old rocket parts hit Earth daily, according to NASA, but most burn up harmlessly in the atmosphere.—
Jesse Kirsch,
NBC news,
22 Mar. 2026
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Very low soil moisture, and the occurrence of dust or sand storms.—
Roberto Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deadwood.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deadwood. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
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