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
In July 2024, one of the project’s 350-foot wind turbines broke and scattered debris across the shore, leaving an extremely hazardous situation.
—
Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 16 Apr. 2026
Routine inspections will detect debris accumulation, confirm the battery functions, and make sure discharge lines aren't blocked.
—Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 16 Apr. 2026
Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.
—Southern California Weather Report, Oc Register, 16 Apr. 2026
Black smoke billowed into the night sky of the Ukrainian capital, the morning revealing charred cars and piles of debris scattered next to damaged buildings.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for debris
Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 16 Apr. 2026
Routine inspections will detect debris accumulation, confirm the battery functions, and make sure discharge lines aren't blocked.
—Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 16 Apr. 2026
Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.
—Southern California Weather Report, Oc Register, 16 Apr. 2026
Black smoke billowed into the night sky of the Ukrainian capital, the morning revealing charred cars and piles of debris scattered next to damaged buildings.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for debris
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debris
Noun
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For example, the EV mandate would be imposed on a company like Waste Management which pays the local government a franchise fee for the exclusive right to provide garbage collection services to all the residents.—
Jon Coupal,
Oc Register,
18 Apr. 2026
-
But the temporary solution for many buildings is asking residents to fill in as volunteer cleaners, garbage schleppers, and greeters.—
Anne Kadet,
Curbed,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The structure is being brought down so first responders can safely go in and recover the two workers who are trapped under the rubble.—
Ryan Hughes,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
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The remains of one of his two daughters were still missing, believed to be trapped under rubble, as search operations concluded Saturday, three days after the attacks.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The three-block stretch, between 16th and 19th avenues, looks markedly different from just a year ago, when tents, abandoned cars and piles of trash crowded the street and sidewalks.—
Da Lin,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Issues cited by residents include drug use, trash and a man with an assault rifle.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Beekeepers in protective suits worked alongside crews to regain control of the swarm, which had clustered around the wreckage and nearby roadway.—
Brittany Miller,
FOXNews.com,
17 Apr. 2026
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The wreckage and cargo of a tractor-trailer litters the hillside above a hairpin curve on the west side of Wolf Creek Pass.—
Logan Smith,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Because of the speed of revolution, a single grain of dust can be enough to strip the magnetic film and obliterate the underlying data.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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The Swiffer Sweeper is perfect for picking up dust, dirt, and pet hair from hardwood, linoleum, or tile floors.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
18 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
While in Annaba, Leo will visit the archaeological ruins of the ancient Roman city of Hippo, including its theater, market and thermal baths.—
Nicole Winfield,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Leo prayed under a tent looking out over the ruins of the ancient Roman city, including its theater, market and basilica where Augustine preached and the adjoining baptistry.—
Nicole Winfield,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Mulhouse Public Prosecutor Nicolas Heitz speaks to the press after a boy was discovered naked and malnourished on a pile of rubbish in a van where he had been kept locked up, in Hagenbach, eastern France, on April 10, 2026.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
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Stony rubbish, dead trees, the odd corpse in the garden—nothing that couldn’t be absorbed back into the earth.—
Caroline Fraser,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Why wouldn't you if your press conference du jour was a junk fees settlement with the HungryPanda delivery app?—
Marcia Kramer,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Kate Bowler examines the appeal of junk.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debris.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debris. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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