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
Empty lots littered with debris and ash line the street where houses and small businesses once stood.
—
Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
For debris handling, Beatbot highlights an ultra-large six-liter debris capacity with fine filtration, and its CES release describes an optional three-micron ultra-fine filter for tighter particle capture.
—Ie Creative Studio, Interesting Engineering, 8 Jan. 2026
By the morning, the roads leading off the mountain — and to a grocery store — were already blocked by rocks and debris, Brown said.
—CBS News, 24 Dec. 2025
Instead, the container holds up to 45 days of dust and debris.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debris
Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
For debris handling, Beatbot highlights an ultra-large six-liter debris capacity with fine filtration, and its CES release describes an optional three-micron ultra-fine filter for tighter particle capture.
—Ie Creative Studio, Interesting Engineering, 8 Jan. 2026
By the morning, the roads leading off the mountain — and to a grocery store — were already blocked by rocks and debris, Brown said.
—CBS News, 24 Dec. 2025
Instead, the container holds up to 45 days of dust and debris.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debris
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debris
Noun
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That’s the whole point of that process of aging and using garbage bags and paint.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Raising the city’s garbage fee was another structural solution that aldermen and the mayor opted to avoid because of similar political difficulties.—
Jake Sheridan,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
An additional 684 people have been found dead in the rubble strewn across Gaza during the same period.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Wilman González, left with a black eye from a blast, picked through rubble at home, surrounded by broken furniture.—
Regina Garcia Cano,
Fortune,
4 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
The vehicle then caught fire, and Molina was pulled from the wreckage.—
Elissa Jorgensen,
Dallas Morning News,
6 Jan. 2026
-
The League of Nations was the forerunner to the UN and is famous among historians for its formation after the wreckage of World War I and its almost immediate failure to prevent the rise of authoritarianism in the 1930s that gave way to World War II.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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
Noun
-
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
-
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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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 10 Jan. 2026.
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