DEADWOOD Synonyms: 63 Similar and Opposite Words

deadwood

noun

ˈded-ˌwu̇d

Definition of deadwood

as in debris

discarded or useless material much of the material in the file cabinets is just deadwood

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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.

Recent Examples of deadwood The pyre was probably built by collecting and assembling at least 30 kilograms of deadwood and grass, which would have required considerable community effort. — ArsTechnica, 5 Jan. 2026 Trying to talk sense into him would be useless, however, so a wounded Leroy hands off the dagger to Will and gives him instructions on where to bury it, reasoning that Will and his friends will be able to get to the deadwood without the military spotting them. — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 15 Dec. 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for deadwood

Recent Examples of Synonyms for deadwood

Noun

Surveillance footage obtained by The News shows the explosion erupting on the building’s second floor, sending glass and other debris rocketing across the street.

— Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026
The update was published 10 weeks after the hot fire test anomaly, and in parallel Blue Origin has rapidly been working to clear debris around the sprawling Launch Complex 36-A site in Florida and starting to rebuild a launch tower.

— Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of debris

Noun

Unlike Lake Michigan, debris and garbage settle along the riverbed and near the banks, forcing divers to search through sediment and obstacles while currents continue to move beneath the surface.

— Darius Johnson, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
Residents are encouraged to use bear-resistant containers with lids latched, store garbage in a garage or shed until collection day, and put cans at the curb the morning of pickup rather than the night before.

— Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of garbage

Noun

This comes at the expense of no movement in the wrist, but to be fair, having the lightsaber pointed in any other direction would look rubbish.

— Matt Gardner, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Only construction waste will be accepted at the landfill such as, brush and rubbish, concrete, brick, rock, wood, paper, plastics, cardboard and roofing shingles and tiles.

— Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 July 2026

Definition of rubbish

Noun

This event underscores the increasing issue of space junk, especially as NASA plans future moonbases.

— Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Trying to get through Master Farseeker’s musings in a section called Poetics of a Jedi was about as straightforward as bartering with a Teedo junk trader.

— Brian Truitt, USA Today, 27 July 2026

Definition of junk

Noun

Emory University’s Salamova, who studies indoor exposure, found levels of QACs in dust in daycare and assisted living care facilities to be about three times higher than in residential homes.

— Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
Korean lunar orbiter spots Falcon 9 crash site The collision was expected to create a crater about 60 feet wide and 12 feet deep and throw a plume of dust and rock outward into the air.

— Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of dust

Browse Nearby Words

deadweights

deadwood

deafening

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“Deadwood.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deadwood. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of deadwood

noun

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