as in debris
discarded or useless material
much of the material in the file cabinets is just deadwood
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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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There’s a lot of stuff in the ocean, and marine debris tends to aggregate in the same places as does the whale sharks’ primary prey.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
24 Oct. 2025
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Next, vacuum the filter using a soft-bristle brush attachment to remove the bulk of the dust and debris buildup.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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After an effort to create a Falls of the Ohio national park fell short in 1967, Kentucky and Indiana officials struggled to stop the falls from becoming a garbage dump.—
Leo Bertucci,
Louisville Courier Journal,
25 Oct. 2025
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Generally, what happens to the White House’s trash is secret—at least as of 2018, which was apparently the last time the federal government released any information on where Oval Office garbage goes.—
Nancy Walecki,
The Atlantic,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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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
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This was due to the incredible amount of rubbish that had been left to pile up inside.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In a photo posted by MLB insider Ben Verlander, Yamamoto is seen with his pitcher's glove picking up trash after his fantastic start.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
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As a plus, the mats can be washed and reused instead of going in the trash.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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And Doctorow asserts Amazon began charging merchants junk fees.—
NPR,
NPR,
21 Oct. 2025
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Even without such a collapse, the influx of synthetic junk muddies the waters for real users.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Kitchens require constant cleaning, as dust and grease build up on cabinet tops.—
Lauren Bengtson,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Oct. 2025
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Unfortunately, curtains can gather a lot of dust, mold, or dirt if not cleaned every so often, and can lead to allergies and an unhygienic home.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deadwood.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deadwood. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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