as in garbage
discarded or useless material
get rid of the dross before closing up the shop
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dross
And while Amazing Stories obviously published some dreck—every magazine does—there are plenty of dilithium crystals hidden in the dross.
—
Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026
The downside of all of these riches is the dross accompanying the gold.
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 27 Feb. 2026
What tabloid dross tends to obscure is his impressive career—first as a star dancer at the New York City Ballet, then as a roving choreographer of complex, dynamic work that is rooted in balletic conventions but not restricted by them.
—Sara Krolewski, The Atlantic, 4 Jan. 2026
These meteors are the dross shed by the comet 169P/NEAT, whose path Earth crosses at this time each year.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 16 July 2025
Amongst all the dross and angst, Neil and Teddy try to talk everyone into investing in a baseball-card trading venture that might generate $500 in profits after a year.
—Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 19 June 2025
But among the dross there gleam a few brilliant exceptions—deceptive, slippery books that defy the constraints of region and genre.
—Charlie Lee, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
The chipmaker is still raising cash and cutting costs though, as there seems to be quite a bit of dross.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 25 Apr. 2025
Could the cotton dross, for instance, enhance a food product’s nutritional profile?
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019
Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026
The downside of all of these riches is the dross accompanying the gold.
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 27 Feb. 2026
What tabloid dross tends to obscure is his impressive career—first as a star dancer at the New York City Ballet, then as a roving choreographer of complex, dynamic work that is rooted in balletic conventions but not restricted by them.
—Sara Krolewski, The Atlantic, 4 Jan. 2026
These meteors are the dross shed by the comet 169P/NEAT, whose path Earth crosses at this time each year.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 16 July 2025
Amongst all the dross and angst, Neil and Teddy try to talk everyone into investing in a baseball-card trading venture that might generate $500 in profits after a year.
—Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 19 June 2025
But among the dross there gleam a few brilliant exceptions—deceptive, slippery books that defy the constraints of region and genre.
—Charlie Lee, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
The chipmaker is still raising cash and cutting costs though, as there seems to be quite a bit of dross.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 25 Apr. 2025
Could the cotton dross, for instance, enhance a food product’s nutritional profile?
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dross
Noun
-
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
-
Kuhner led me up a wooden staircase, into a dark space littered with debris.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management said Thursday that there's a lane restriction in one eastbound lane of Grays Ferry Avenue as crews clear debris, but the westbound lanes are fully open.—
Tom Ignudo,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Dross.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dross. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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