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
During that time—but only after any threat of debris from reentry has cleared—NASA's waiting recovery team will come to meet the astronauts and fish them out of the capsule.
—
Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 9 Apr. 2026
Cities and counties already expect higher debris collections each February and March, as live oaks lining city streets dump leaves and pollen ahead of spring.
—Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2026
The sound is amplified through pickups and electromagnets found in debris after a fire.
—Jessica Meszaros, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2026
Transportation officials reported debris along I-695 approaching Exit 29B-A for MD 542, Loch Raven Boulevard.
—Todd Karpovich, Baltimore Sun, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for debris
Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 9 Apr. 2026
Cities and counties already expect higher debris collections each February and March, as live oaks lining city streets dump leaves and pollen ahead of spring.
—Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2026
The sound is amplified through pickups and electromagnets found in debris after a fire.
—Jessica Meszaros, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2026
Transportation officials reported debris along I-695 approaching Exit 29B-A for MD 542, Loch Raven Boulevard.
—Todd Karpovich, Baltimore Sun, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for debris
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debris
Noun
-
Down where the Pigeons toiled, two-foot piles of garbage cluttered blocks lined with storage-unit facilities, budget hotels, abandoned RVs and parking lots sealed with rusted razor wire.—
TIM CRAIG THE WASHINGTON POST,
Arkansas Online,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Her body was found wrapped in blankets and garbage bags in the bed of a second-story room.—
Angie DiMichele,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
On Saturday morning, piles of bricks and mud were all that were left, along with blankets, cooking utensils and other personal belongings salvaged from the rubble and set into a pile.—
Elena Becatoros,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Apr. 2026
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Tangled pieces of barbed wire, reams of rubble and fallen concrete scarred the skyline in Karaj, western Iran, on Friday, after the US military bombed a major new bridge under construction.—
Leila Gharagozlou,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Kansas City uses this money to pay for basic city services, like fire fighting, snow plowing and trash collecting.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Officials remind the public to report aggressive wildlife immediately, always supervise children outdoors, keep pets on a leash and close by and avoid leaving food or trash accessible.—
Chelsea Hylton,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Iranian officials told civilians to be on the lookout for survivors and have flooded social media with images that purport to show wreckage from the aircraft.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The vehicle smashed through barricades and concrete, racing down a hallway before becoming lodged in the twisted wreckage.—
Gayle Pearlstein,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Dirt, pet hair, and dust blend right in, while the durable synthetic fibers resist stains and are easy to clean.—
Jacquelyn McGilvray,
PEOPLE,
5 Apr. 2026
-
From tackling the clutter that traps dust to cleaning out your gutters, a spring clean-up can make a meaningful difference in how your home feels.—
Alora Bopray,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Ethiopia is home to 12 UNESCO World Heritage sites — including churches, parks and ancient ruins.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Something of an oxymoron for a city whose reputation is built on ruins.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
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Is all religion rubbish and still ripping us apart…?—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Analysts have downgraded Brightline's debt to junk, raising questions about private rail as a business.—
Jon Wertheim,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Your many boxes of junk can tuck behind the footboard, and your guests (and you, with time) will be none the wiser.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debris.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debris. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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