garbage

noun

ˈgär-bij How to pronounce garbage (audio)
Definition of garbagenext
1
as in trash
discarded or useless material the stray dogs were looking for leftover food in the family's garbage

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nonsense
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense she was just talking garbage when she said that she was taking a loss on the sale of the house

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 garbage William Gottlieb’s suit also notes that Urban Zen hosts catered gatherings that generate food garbage, therefore creating fodder for the rats. — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 25 Aug. 2026 Once on the first floor, state police found that this area of the home was also cluttered with various things as well as large black garbage bags filled with unknown items, the search warrant said. — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 25 Aug. 2026 Meanwhile, the three Romanians ditched the van, chucked their clothing into a garbage bin, and ordered a taxi to Heathrow Airport. — Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026 Beachgoers found large amounts of garbage strewn across the water's edge Saturday. — Nick Caloway, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for garbage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for garbage
  1. trash
  2. nonsense
  3. debris
  4. rubbish
  5. junk
  6. nuts
  7. dust
  8. blah
Noun
  • On Friday morning, trash was littered about the park, people appeared to be doing drugs, and an apparently homeless person and his belongings had set up camp on a park bench.
    — Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Latinos Aventureros Co-Founder Sandra Salazar said complaints about trash at Wilson Creek since Hurricane Helene created friction in the area.
    — Lily Knoepp, Charlotte Observer, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of trash
Noun
  • The lyrics coalesced slowly, with McCartney filling the incomplete sections with nonsense phrases.
    — Jordan Runtagh, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Statham, who turned 59 this summer and is still in incredible shape, performs on his usual high-octane, no-time-for-nonsense level.
    — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of nonsense
Noun
  • Hot rubber, tire debris, or other parts can also land on dry vegetation and ignite it.
    — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The infamous explosion covered Pompeii and Herculaneum in volcanic debris, immortalizing the final moments of the ancient Roman cities and some of their unfortunate inhabitants in stunning detail.
    — Margherita Bassi, Popular Science, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of debris
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
  • The rating decision drops the West African nation deeper into junk territory and underscores its vulnerability since the government identified billions of dollars in undisclosed debt from a previous administration.
    — Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Jim is an aficionado of NFL lore, nostalgic about the junk wax era and regular viewer of random classic (and some not-so classic) sporting events.
    — Jim Reineking, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of junk
Noun
  • The Central Valley is known as America’s salad bowl, for its vast production fruits, vegetables and nuts that stock refrigerators and kitchen tables across America.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Many of California’s Asian American leaders have come through that boot camp, which provides training on the nuts-and-bolts of organizing, media relations, and messaging.
    — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of nuts
Noun
  • The National Weather Service called for blowing dust early Friday evening and a 20% chance of rain on Sunday for nearby Gerlach, Nevada, a community of 58 people about 100 miles north of Reno.
    — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 5 Sep. 2026
  • During the transformation the gases escape, dragging dust and ice particles off the surface with them.
    — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of dust
Noun
  • There's been some good, but, generally, it's just been sort of blah.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • That’s where all the problems come from—the shrinkage, the color, blah, blah, blah.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of blah

Browse Nearby Words

garb
garbage
garbed
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Cite this Entry

“Garbage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/garbage. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on garbage

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about garbage

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