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
Cleaning the Soil The first step is the easiest; removing unwanted debris, roots, or pests.
—
Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 25 Apr. 2025
Astronomers have spotted a distant planet shedding matter with each orbit around its host star, generating a comet-like tail of debris.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Apr. 2025
Plus, the model has LED headlights to illuminate hidden dirt, debris, hair, and more for a more efficient and thorough cleaning.
—Maggie Horton, People.com, 23 Apr. 2025
The trio were mere inches past the manhole when the explosion sent chunks of concrete and debris flying in all directions, and the three pedestrians bolting.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debris
Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 25 Apr. 2025
Astronomers have spotted a distant planet shedding matter with each orbit around its host star, generating a comet-like tail of debris.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Apr. 2025
Plus, the model has LED headlights to illuminate hidden dirt, debris, hair, and more for a more efficient and thorough cleaning.
—Maggie Horton, People.com, 23 Apr. 2025
The trio were mere inches past the manhole when the explosion sent chunks of concrete and debris flying in all directions, and the three pedestrians bolting.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debris
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debris
Noun
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Unlike a regular old garbage bag, these are leakproof and durable (and thus much harder for a squirrel to rip into, if given the chance).—
Sara Coughlin,
SELF,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Four 20-pound bags of hamburger buns and sandwich breads got hit with Stop Sales, sending 80 pounds of bread into the garbage.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In it, Haidar watched herself lying among the still-settling rubble, her dark hair spooling in eddying puddles of red.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
2 May 2025
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When our planet interacts with that rubble river, those comet bits race through Earth's atmosphere at high speeds: 41 miles (66 km) per second, to produce the shooting star effect.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
1 May 2025
Noun
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The optional speakers can run on battery power for up to eight hours (recharged via USB-C port), and are rated to IP54 dust and water resistance.—
John Archer,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
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By analyzing the colors and structures within the dust cocoons, scientists infer the composition, density and temperature of the gas and dust — crucial insights into the conditions necessary for stars to ignite. 5.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The collapse of the communist regime had left behind unimaginable wreckage: the economy was dead, corruption was everywhere, people's spirits had been utterly crushed.—
Mohammed Soliman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Apr. 2025
-
The oldest survivor of Flight 212, Mihalek was 46 at the time of the crash and helped pull co-pilot Jim Daniels away from the wreckage.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Apr. 2025
Noun
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There’s even been a rare dose of reality-style drama, as when contestant Shuai Wang accidentally tossed teammate Henry Lu’s entire mise en place setup in the trash — removing all the pickles from a dish in a pickle-centric challenge and sending Henry to the bottom.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
1 May 2025
-
Tens of thousands of dollars in artwork may have ended up in the trash during a town hall renovation in the Netherlands.—
Lillian Ali,
Smithsonian Magazine,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Among the debris were bricks, tins of paint, stones, and other assorted rubbish.—
Arick Wierson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Apr. 2025
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The effort has so far transformed more than 10 tons of flowers from would-be rubbish into fragrant souvenirs.—
Travel + Leisure Editors,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Raised in the United Kingdom, Tiller has made a career in two tracks: Studying respiratory medicine and debunking junk science.—
Rustin Dodd,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
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The European Space Agency estimates that there are approximately 130 million pieces of space junk from the over 6,800 successful rocket launches that have occurred since 1957.—
Eileen Falkenberg-Hull,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 May 2025
Noun
-
Ford also builds the truck at Ohio Assembly Plant near Avon Lake.—
Jamie L. LaReau,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
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When police tried to arrest two people in the truck, the driver fled the scene.—
Emily Shapiro,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debris.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debris. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
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