1
as in garbage
discarded or useless material
the unsightly debris left after mining operations had ceased
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Recent Examples of debris
Both were seen with their trunks open and debris scattered on the ground.
—
Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 15 Jan. 2026
In Iran’s capital, Tehran, witnesses said recent mornings showed no new signs of bonfires lit the night before or debris in the streets.
—Dallas Morning News, 15 Jan. 2026
Unsealed drags collect sand and debris, leading to sticking or failure at the exact moment a fish makes its run.
—Francesca Krempa, Outside, 15 Jan. 2026
Such was the church’s impact that others came to watch, too, and began taking pieces of wood from the debris pile as keepsakes.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for debris
Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 15 Jan. 2026
In Iran’s capital, Tehran, witnesses said recent mornings showed no new signs of bonfires lit the night before or debris in the streets.
—Dallas Morning News, 15 Jan. 2026
Unsealed drags collect sand and debris, leading to sticking or failure at the exact moment a fish makes its run.
—Francesca Krempa, Outside, 15 Jan. 2026
Such was the church’s impact that others came to watch, too, and began taking pieces of wood from the debris pile as keepsakes.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for debris
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debris
Noun
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Installed on the former garbage dump bounded by Sunset, Lewis, Western and Glen Flora avenues, there are now 20,000 solar panels.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
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Rescuers retrieved eight people alive and were searching for the missing still trapped after a huge mound of garbage and debris collapsed on them in the village of Binaliw in Cebu city, police said.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In the first image rubble from the fire is visible and the land is a charred brown.—
Terry Castleman,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Jan. 2026
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First responders carried many of the injured, who were trapped under rubble, out on stretchers, and detection dogs were used to ensure that rescuers located everyone trapped in the debris, per the BBC.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Kirkland Signature is Costco's private label brand which offers a variety of products, including groceries, health and beauty products, clothing, and household items, such as trash bags and cleaning supplies.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
12 Jan. 2026
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Two passengers in the trash truck – identified as 22-year-old Juan Cormachi and 35-year-old Fausto Flores – were injured during the crash and taken to a shock trauma center.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Slowly and painfully, state leaders learned to recognize that — cheered on by their constituents, who don’t want to live in communities blighted by sprawl and surrounded by environmental wreckage.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Jan. 2026
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An emergency response member rushes over to the wreckage and attempts to put the fire out with an extinguisher.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Researchers revealed that the high-voltage output facilitates the neutralization and collection of dust and moisture by generating negative ions.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Jan. 2026
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Adding a dust ruffle around the base of your bed can make this spot even better for keeping messy items hidden.—
Lauren Landers,
The Spruce,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Caruso said the ruins should be torn down.—
Roger Vincent,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
-
In the ruins of the kitchen sat two cast-iron Le Creuset stew pots — the only survivors.—
Jonathan Taplin,
Rolling Stone,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Piles of human scraps offer a bottomless buffet to wildlife, and to access that bounty, animals need to be bold enough to rummage through human rubbish but not so bold as to become a threat to people.—
Marina Wang,
Scientific American,
14 Nov. 2025
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Helga once wrestled down a drunk fisherman in the Café, a man of above-average size, and then threw him out like a piece of rubbish; Jens thus transfers most of his weight automatically to her; who is this kid, by the way?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Safety and health worries have long surrounded landfills in many cities and towns in the Philippines, especially ones near poor communities whose residents scavenge for junk and leftover food in the garbage heaps, the AP points out.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
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His wife’s body was discovered by a man who was working on the property to clear out junk ahead of the property’s sale.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debris.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debris. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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