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
Some will examine debris piles as they're dismantled by excavators and skid steers.
—
Greg Allen, NPR, 9 July 2025
Each shower returns every year thanks to Earth’s orbit intersecting debris trails left behind by comets.
—Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 8 July 2025
One person was killed in the southern city of Odesa, another person was killed and 71 were injured in northeastern Kharkiv, and falling drone debris caused damage in two districts of Kyiv, the capital, during nighttime drone attacks, Ukrainian authorities said.
—Aamer Madhani, Chicago Tribune, 8 July 2025
Flooding left debris including vehicles and equipment scattered in Louise Hays Park on July 5, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for debris
Greg Allen, NPR, 9 July 2025
Each shower returns every year thanks to Earth’s orbit intersecting debris trails left behind by comets.
—Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 8 July 2025
One person was killed in the southern city of Odesa, another person was killed and 71 were injured in northeastern Kharkiv, and falling drone debris caused damage in two districts of Kyiv, the capital, during nighttime drone attacks, Ukrainian authorities said.
—Aamer Madhani, Chicago Tribune, 8 July 2025
Flooding left debris including vehicles and equipment scattered in Louise Hays Park on July 5, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for debris
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debris
Noun
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Wasps are also scavengers, and they can often be found flying around garbage bins looking for their next meal.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
5 July 2025
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Folsom 4th of July garbage schedule For those living in Folsom, trash and waste pickup will continue as scheduled, according to the city’s website.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
Updated July 2,
Sacbee.com,
2 July 2025
Noun
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Firefighters from the Philadelphia Fire Department, using a search dog, continued to sift through the rubble in the Nicetown neighborhood Sunday afternoon, looking for victims and what caused the blast, according to Daniel McCarty, the fire department's executive officer.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
29 June 2025
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In addition to aerial attacks, a man died when Russian troops shelled the city of Kherson, and the body of a 70-year-old woman was found under the rubble of a nine-story building hit by Russian shelling in the Zaporizhzhia region.—
Volodymyr Yurchuk,
Chicago Tribune,
29 June 2025
Noun
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Multiple attachments also come with your purchase (a crevice tool and a pet multi tool), which help to tackle dust in hard-to-reach areas in your home.—
Izzy Baskette,
People.com,
5 July 2025
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The Milky Way is our home galaxy, a vast spiral of stars, dust and cosmic wonder stretching across the sky like a hazy, glowing river.—
Tiffany Acosta,
AZCentral.com,
3 July 2025
Noun
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Authorities were notified of a midair collision in an area just south of Steinbach shortly before 9 a.m. RCMP, fire crews, and emergency medical services responded to the scene and located the wreckage of two small single-engine aircraft.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
9 July 2025
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The content may be used in future stories depicting the wreckage in central Texas as communities continue to grapple with the tragedy.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
8 July 2025
Noun
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But despite the state’s best efforts to educate citizens on the importance of removing bird feeders, trash and food from yards, human-bear interactions continue to rise, showcasing a growing concern that bears are becoming less afraid of humans.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
30 June 2025
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The various entities funded bear-proof trash systems for people living in towns near the national parks and strung electric fences around tempting fruit orchards.—
Christine Peterson,
Vox,
27 June 2025
Noun
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North Korea has responded to previous balloon campaigns with fiery rhetoric and other shows of anger, and last year the country launched its own balloons across the border, dumping rubbish on various South Korean sites, including the presidential compound.—
Hyung-Jin Kim,
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2025
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They were were found beneath a pile of rubbish heaped just inside her front door, according to a police report released Wednesday.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
19 June 2025
Noun
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Who wouldn’t want content that’s relevant to their unique interests instead of a mess of irrelevant junk?—
Andrew Luttrell,
Time,
24 June 2025
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Every doctor who has pushed junk science on vulnerable kids should be held responsible.—
Kristen Waggoner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
Noun
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When the 1966 Buick that Mansfield was riding in collided with the slowing tractor trailer, the car slid underneath the truck.—
Lynsey Eidell,
People.com,
29 June 2025
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The next day Queenie was riding to their home on the milk truck.—
Neil Milbert,
Chicago Tribune,
29 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debris.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debris. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
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