1
as in debris
discarded or useless material
the piles of dust that future archaeologists will sift through for insights into our civilization
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to smoke
to defeat by a large margin
the inexperienced sprinter somehow dusted the field of veterans
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 dust
Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026
Whether breezy linen panels in the living room or heavier drapes in the bedroom, those long fabrics catch pollen, pet dander, cooking residue, and everyday dust.
—Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2026
Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Mar. 2026
To demonstrate, Ejae smiles to form creases below her eyes, then dusts some brown powder onto the area.
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dust
Noun
Those winds could create blowing dust on the eastern plains and reduce visibility in some areas prompting a Blowing Dust Warning on the eastern plains through Sunday afternoon.
—Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026
Whether breezy linen panels in the living room or heavier drapes in the bedroom, those long fabrics catch pollen, pet dander, cooking residue, and everyday dust.
—Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2026
Verb
Begin by dusting the furniture, and then apply a small amount of coconut oil with a clean, dry cloth using a circular motion.
—Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Mar. 2026
To demonstrate, Ejae smiles to form creases below her eyes, then dusts some brown powder onto the area.
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dust
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dust
Noun
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Mar. 2026
-
How To Dethatch Your Lawn The day before dethatching, mow your lawn as usual to trim the grass and remove excess debris from the lawn, then water the lawn lightly.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
These may include soil conservation, water management, carbon sequestration, and regenerative agriculture.—
Metro Creative Services,
Boston Herald,
16 Mar. 2026
-
While all three properties for the vineyard designate wines are certified organic through CCOF, (California Certified Organic Farmers), winemaking for each site requires a slightly different approach because of distinct soils and tannin profiles.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
No crack is smoked; an astronaut’s life has enough highs.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Blumenthal said the new guidelines will be especially important for people who smoke tobacco, have high blood pressure, high blood sugar, Type 2 diabetes or a family history of heart disease.—
Lindsey Leake,
NBC news,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Adebayo’s pursuit of history transformed a garbage-time snoozer into a highly competitive game within the game.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Late one night in Payatas, a shantytown near a garbage dump in Manila’s outskirts, Santiago knocked on the door of a funeral office.—
Sheila Coronel,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Don Abelardo Rodriguez, son of the Mexican president, spotted this plot of land from helicopter and turned it into a private home and eventually the region's first resort.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
14 Mar. 2026
-
White officials used their positions atop the local commissions that oversaw federal agricultural programs to drive Black landowners into so much debt that most of them had to sell off their land.—
Boyce Upholt,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
To be buried with a drum, perhaps, gave one an advantage in the afterlife.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Mar. 2026
-
The same process happened with the government’s attempt to dismantle the Palestinian Authority in order to kill and bury the hope for Palestinian self-determination.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And plenty of humans would appreciate a better understanding of how to convince trash pandas a puzzle isn’t worth investigating any more.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Just ridiculous signing all of these retreads off the trash heap.—
Chad Bishop,
AJC.com,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The deployment does not necessarily indicate that a ground operation is imminent or will take place.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Sontag claimed to have forgotten about him, but his vanishing is better explained on writerly grounds.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dust. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
