DEBRIS Synonyms: 68 Similar and Opposite Words

debris

noun

də-ˈbrē

Definition of debris

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

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 Based on initial analysis of seismic data, hundreds of millions of tons of material, including rock, ice and other debris, collapsed, Cook said. — Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 27 Aug. 2026 The working theory is that a glacial collapse was the source of the debris flow that washed away buildings, cars and people with incredible speed and force, scientists told USA TODAY. — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026 Opening these areas to commercial logging and thinning risks increasing wildfires by removing mature fire-resistant trees, increasing the drying effects of sun and wind and leaving behind flammable debris. — Patrick Parenteau, The Conversation, 26 Aug. 2026 The debris basket has a screen that captures larger matter, such as leaves and twigs. — John R. Delaney, PC Magazine, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for debris

Recent Examples of Synonyms for debris

Noun

William Gottlieb’s suit also notes that Urban Zen hosts catered gatherings that generate food garbage, therefore creating fodder for the rats.

— Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 25 Aug. 2026
Once on the first floor, state police found that this area of the home was also cluttered with various things as well as large black garbage bags filled with unknown items, the search warrant said.

— Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of garbage

Noun

This seven-year-old girl pulled from the rubble after rescue workers heard her cries.

— ABC News, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026
Other than that, he’s never seemed confident that the future will turn out all right, although he’s kept on working out his worries onscreen, forever hunting for flakes of hope in the rubble.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of rubble

Noun

To paraphrase Tolstoy, all slop is alike, but every piece of trash is trashy in its own oddball way.

— Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
Four months later, he was seen last weekend walking dogs, taking walks, enjoying a cup of coffee in a garage, and even stopping to sift through neighborhood trash items on the side of the street.

— Kelsie Cairns, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of trash

Noun

Painstaking analysis of 319 tons of wreckage and thousands of pieces of evidence from a crime scene covering 845 square miles, along with thousands of interviews in 16 countries, eventually led investigators to two Libyan intelligence operatives.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 27 Aug. 2026
Software, which took a beating earlier this year, has more recently staged a comeback as traders reevaluated their business outlooks, and combed through the wreckage for survivors.

— Sarah Min, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of wreckage

Noun

Once the novelty wore off, many ended up in storerooms gathering dust.

— Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
This is because the material that serves as the building blocks for planets is constantly escaping the swirling platters of gas and dust, or protoplanetary disks, that wrap around infant stars.

— Robert Lea, Space.com, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of dust

Noun

The mountains, castles, and ruins of Ashina enable a unique traversal system.

— Aman Kumar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Aug. 2026
The tornado struck Pomas, a village of about 1,000 people, on Monday and rescue teams were continuing their search through ruins on Tuesday, though no people were immediately reported missing.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of ruins

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

With the Bombers’ bullpen depleted, the junk-balling lefty didn’t allow a baserunner while recording a three-inning save after Cole hit the showers.

— Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 21 Aug. 2026
Carlyle pitched itself as a local hero in contrast to New York hustlers and greenmailers, replacing its backing from Drexel Burnham’s junk-bond king, Michael Milken, with money from blue-chip names like the Mellon family.

— Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of junk

Browse Nearby Words

debriefs

debris

debs

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“Debris.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debris. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of debris

noun

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