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 There were 13 hydropower plants that were damaged by the flooding and many workers were either swept or trapped by the raging water or debris. — ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026 Safety concerns, including the possibility of rolling debris from hillsides onto the roadway, kept westbound Interstate 80 closed on Thursday. — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 17 Sep. 2026 The Pitkin County Sheriff's Office released photos of debris flows in Colorado on Monday. — Dillon Thomas, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026 That career move quickly fizzled, leaving a sloppy drunk has-been in the debris. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for debris

Recent Examples of Synonyms for debris

Noun

Remove food that attracts wild animals by keeping garbage in closed, secure containers.

— Gagandeep Singh, Sacbee.com, 15 Sep. 2026
The only people who spoke up for this garbage were the people who put it together.

— Jim Cramer, CNBC, 13 Sep. 2026

Definition of garbage

Noun

The new stadium has a capacity of just over 60,000, about 12,000 less than the old facility which now lies in rubble across the street.

— CBS News, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026
A number of people are thought to still be missing beneath the rubble, the health ministry said on Wednesday.

— Morgan Winsor, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of rubble

Noun

It will then be loaded up with trash and sent down to a fiery death in Earth's atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean.

— Mike Wall, Space.com, 16 Sep. 2026
These community governance groups rely on owner dues and assessments to cover shared amenities, like pools, trash collection, and lawn maintenance.

— The Week US, TheWeek, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of trash

Noun

Later, the vehicle was removed and a gaping hole was visible in the Metro bus’ side, with wreckage strewn around the scene.

— Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Video showed civil defense crews surveying the wreckage and using bulldozers to dig people out, including children.

— CBS News, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of wreckage

Noun

These micro-drones usually crash in low-visibility crisis zones where dust, smoke, or pitch darkness blinds cameras.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026
Tristan, in the middle of putting down new wood shavings, looked at me shyly through the dust clouds.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of dust

Noun

The Strip had been largely obliterated in the war between Hamas and Israel, and most of its two million inhabitants were living in tents or in the ruins; images of human misery had flooded screens around the world.

— Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
Three firefighters stand atop a pile of twisted steel and debris, raising an American flag above the ruins of the World Trade Center.

— Thomas E. Franklin, USA Today, 11 Sep. 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

Astroscale’s business is focused on satellite servicing and mitigation of space junk, a segment of the market that matches well with rockets the size of Isar’s Spectrum for dedicated rides to orbit.

— Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026
The three scoured data collected by the Chandra space telescope between 1999 and 2017 and painstakingly filtered out any random artifacts and other junk.

— Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of junk

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debriefs

debris

debs

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Style

“Debris.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debris. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of debris

noun

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