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
The deadwood was cleared off the roster.
—
Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2025
Forest fires clear away deadwood to promote new growth; decisive defeat in war creates space for societal transformations.
—Todd Pittinsky, New York Daily News, 23 Mar. 2024
The genus is known to feed on deadwood, dead leaves, leaf litter or lichens, according to Hoare.
—Rina Diane Caballar, Discover Magazine, 12 Nov. 2023
Only the White has the right balance of water, sediment, sandbars with backwaters, sheltering cottonwood forests and pool-forming deadwood to sustain themselves without hatchery help.
—Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 30 June 2023
See All Example Sentences for deadwood
Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2025
Forest fires clear away deadwood to promote new growth; decisive defeat in war creates space for societal transformations.
—Todd Pittinsky, New York Daily News, 23 Mar. 2024
The genus is known to feed on deadwood, dead leaves, leaf litter or lichens, according to Hoare.
—Rina Diane Caballar, Discover Magazine, 12 Nov. 2023
Only the White has the right balance of water, sediment, sandbars with backwaters, sheltering cottonwood forests and pool-forming deadwood to sustain themselves without hatchery help.
—Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 30 June 2023
See All Example Sentences for deadwood
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deadwood
Noun
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Gas and dust fall into a rotating disk around the black hole, and as the debris spirals more rapidly, it becomes superheated, releasing intense radiation.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The burger was never refrigerated and spent most of its life in cupboards, garbage bags and sheds.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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Beijing — When Ho Puay-peng first visited Beijing’s Forbidden City in the late 1980s, the Singaporean architect saw many of the historic courtyards used for storage, filled with garbage, and occupied by danwei (government offices).—
Fred He,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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When firefighters arrived at the scene, multiple cars and piles of rubbish were on fire.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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One hurdle for these editors is that far-right hate is more conducive to digital slop, both because algorithms prize outlandish ragebait and because the tribalistic ideas themselves are low IQ rubbish.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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However, do not compost plant debris and soil of plants that had pest and disease issues, but dispose of it in the trash.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Nov. 2025
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Wayne’s body was found by a passing driver in a northeast Aurora field littered with trash and debris one month after she was last seen alive, with her clothes and purse were strewn about the area, according to the affidavit.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Having junk hauled away costs money.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
5 Nov. 2025
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As the investigation continues, scientists are weighing a series of improbable scenarios, from space rocks to space junk, in hopes of identifying what exactly fell from the sky onto a moving Tesla in the South Australian night.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The best deal on the list belongs to this small but mighty handheld vacuum cleaner that can snatch up pet fur, dust, dirt, and more debris from furniture in a flash.—
Clara McMahon,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
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Gas and dust fall into a rotating disk around the black hole, and as the debris spirals more rapidly, it becomes superheated, releasing intense radiation.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deadwood.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deadwood. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
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