remains 1 of 2

1
as in rubble
the portion or bits of something left over or behind after it has been destroyed the remains of the house ripped apart by the tornado littered the block for weeks afterward

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2
as in corpse
a dead body archaeologists discovered the remains of an Incan woman and carefully excavated her burial site, which promised to yield important clues about her status

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3

remains

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of remain

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 remains
Verb
Albany police said Gallimore has been suspended without pay while the outcome of administrative action against him remains pending. Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026 With prospects for a deal toward ending the war with Iran unclear, the stability of oil supplies remains uncertain with the Strait of Hormuz nearly closed, blocking a vital route for oil and gas tankers from the Middle East. ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026 Student crackdown Jiang’s rise to the top began amid the tumult of the 1989 Tiananmen Square democracy protests, which were brutally crushed by Chinese troops in what remains one of the most sensitive political taboos in mainland China. Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026 Although only portions of the original line operate for passengers today, the railroad remains one of North America’s great scenic train rides. Bailey Berg, Travel + Leisure, 16 Aug. 2026 The sports car, now named the MX-5 Miata, remains the best-selling selection in its segment in history. James Raia, Mercury News, 16 Aug. 2026 While her daughter has not experienced lasting health effects, VandenBerg worries about what remains unknown. Christiana Freitag, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026 Eventually, some make it over the top, but, still, the gate remains closed. Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026 The prophecy remains at the center of my critique of this series, if not its biggest problem, then at least one of its most irksome. Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for remains
Verb
  • There is no world in which everyone stays and expensive marquee signings join.
    Kaya Kaynak, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • After Nihiwatu’s launch in 2001, stays at this low-key beach retreat became a rite of passage in surfer circles.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • There is no greater cautionary tale than Australia’s cane toads, whose now 200-million strong population continues to wreak havoc 91 years after being introduced to deal with the country’s cane beetle problem.
    Jack Bantock, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The episode picks up when Bret and Robert have their first tense interaction — their vaguely hostile and lightly homoerotic back-and-forth continues to be the highlight of the show for me.
    Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The federal agency normally waits until all of the yearly data is reported to suggest a drop in crime.
    ABC News, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Under a communications blackout, a rover team that waits for its commands from Earth has to stop.
    Wanjiku Chebet Kanjumba, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • This collection of designs looks good, lasts and makes life a little easier.
    ABC News, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The risk of heavy rain lasts into Friday in some areas, but the wet pattern should ease up this weekend when storm-killing high pressure arrives.
    Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • So long as effective communication persists, the reflex to mourn the disuse of a language can be motivated only by something else—nostalgia or, perhaps, the loss of a group’s ability to easily demarcate itself.
    The New Yorker, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Small businesses already report a widening gap between AI adoption and AI readiness, and a workforce that cannot keep pace with a changing tool is one of the quieter reasons that gap persists.
    TerDawn DeBoe, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Remains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/remains. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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