1
as in garbage
discarded or useless material
the unsightly debris left after mining operations had ceased
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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 debris
Do not burn debris or other items during an air quality alert.
—
Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 18 June 2026
Place a towel or drop cloth on the floor underneath the skylight to catch drips and debris.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 18 June 2026
Cool the griddle completely and wipe up any rust particles or debris with paper towels.
—Ann Taylor Pittman, Southern Living, 18 June 2026
The National Weather Service warns to take cover immediately, as flying debris will be dangerous to anyone left outside.
—John Tufts, IndyStar, 18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for debris
Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 18 June 2026
Place a towel or drop cloth on the floor underneath the skylight to catch drips and debris.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 18 June 2026
Cool the griddle completely and wipe up any rust particles or debris with paper towels.
—Ann Taylor Pittman, Southern Living, 18 June 2026
The National Weather Service warns to take cover immediately, as flying debris will be dangerous to anyone left outside.
—John Tufts, IndyStar, 18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for debris
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debris
Noun
-
Take Out the Trash Empty garbage bins and recycling from all rooms—not just the kitchen and bath—and don’t forget special receptacles like compost, diaper pails, and litter boxes.—
Kristina McGuirk,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 June 2026
-
In her own yard, Mingrone has learned that cracked lids on garbage containers allow water to pool after a rain, setting up a major breeding ground.—
Brenda Goodman,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
At the site, an Associated Press reporter saw rubble and chunks of concrete stained with blood.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
-
At the site, an Associated Press reporter saw rubble and chunks of concrete stained with blood.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Chicago Tribune,
20 June 2026
Noun
-
Fans from around the world have brought their own traditions to the tournament, from Norway supporters performing a Viking row in perfect unison in the stands in Boston to Japanese fans in Dallas cleaning up stadium trash after matches.—
Kelly McCarthy,
ABC News,
19 June 2026
-
Throwing devices in the trash claimed another 9%.—
Eric Williams,
The Conversation,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
Videos from the scene showed bystanders running toward the burning wreckage, attempting to break a window to the cockpit and open the plane's door to free passengers as first responders arrived.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
-
Tortured by the loss of his son and the wreckage of his life, David has refused visitors since the beginning of his sentence.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
The prospect of even a mini-Dust Bowl is alarming as the original disaster during the Great Depression sent dust clouds across rural America, wiping out entire communities and triggering mass migration to other parts of the country.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
21 June 2026
-
Here’s where the story gets sprinkled with fairy dust.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
21 June 2026
Noun
-
Mussolini had a villa built, reduced like almost everything else to a pile of ruins.—
Marzio G. Mian,
Vanity Fair,
16 June 2026
-
But the sacred institution, founded in 1813, is now in ruins.—
Ryan Hughes,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
So where does the rubbish come from?—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Footwear News,
8 June 2026
-
With no petrol to run dustbin trucks, rubbish is being burnt in the streets.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
Doremus Avenue and the warehouses and tank farms and truck lots and junk yards along it are not far from the Passaic River.—
Ian Frazier,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
-
The bad news is that the Zhuque-2E’s breakup is the latest chapter in China’s growing contribution to the space junk problem.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debris.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debris. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
