1
as in debris
the portion or bits of something left over or behind after it has been destroyed
the detective noticed an ashy residue in the sink and deduced that a piece of paper had been burned there
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in remainder
a remaining group or portion
the residue of our Thanksgiving feast consisted of a denuded turkey carcass and a couple rolls
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of residue
Use a damp microfiber towel to wipe away excess residue immediately after steaming, while the area is still warm.
—
Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 19 Feb. 2026
This unavoidable residue is known as ground-state energy, or zero-point energy.
—George Musser, Wired News, 15 Feb. 2026
As Pavitt explained, oils (while not all are inherently pore-clogging) can be too heavy for acne-prone skin types and often leave residue behind.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 13 Feb. 2026
Meth users, for instance, typically smoke the drug, and commingling pipes with people who use fentanyl risks meth users overdosing after unwittingly smoking leftover fentanyl residue.
—Lev Facher, STAT, 12 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for residue
Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 19 Feb. 2026
This unavoidable residue is known as ground-state energy, or zero-point energy.
—George Musser, Wired News, 15 Feb. 2026
As Pavitt explained, oils (while not all are inherently pore-clogging) can be too heavy for acne-prone skin types and often leave residue behind.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 13 Feb. 2026
Meth users, for instance, typically smoke the drug, and commingling pipes with people who use fentanyl risks meth users overdosing after unwittingly smoking leftover fentanyl residue.
—Lev Facher, STAT, 12 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for residue
Recent Examples of Synonyms for residue
Noun
-
Do not burn debris or other items during an air quality alert.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Wash the containers in a dishwasher or by hand using hot water and dish soap to remove as much mold as possible, along with any oils or food debris on the surface.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Socrates’ reply to Glaucon was complicated, taking up the whole remainder of this lengthy dialogue.—
Paul Rosenzweig,
Washington Post,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Winner will serve remainder of term Whoever wins will fill the remainder of Hancock's term, which expires at the end of the year.—
Jack Fink,
CBS News,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The bodies of the victims were still being dug out from under the rubble on Sunday morning, according to state media reports.—
Sophia Saifi,
CNN Money,
22 Feb. 2026
-
The city still lay in ruin, filled with piles of rubble and half-destroyed buildings.—
Nicholas Lemann,
New Yorker,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Once the last flower drops off, the plant needs rest to recover its strength, and during that time, the leaf segments may look thin, dull, and saggy.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Feb. 2026
-
But keep in mind the team will likely search for ways to build in extra rest for their five starters.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The driver was briefly trapped in the wreckage before emergency responders freed him, officials said.—
Darrell Smith
Updated February 20,
Sacbee.com,
20 Feb. 2026
-
And the wreckage of the tankers might just be the ladder the Warriors use to climb back into the real postseason.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
And within that galaxy, not only will stars live-and-die, and not only will star-formation cease once all of the gas has been consumed, but gravitational interactions will eject most of those stellar corpses, as well as the planet remnants that orbit them.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
20 Feb. 2026
-
These soon give way to montages, collages, and montages of collages, each aimed at transforming tangible remnants of memory, like photographs, into abstract depictions of a life lived.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Grand, crumbling ruins stand as a striking reminder that Oualidia was once a favorite place of the nation’s last Sultan, and the legacy of his beloved royal beach lingers.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Erksan was good with locations and makes fine use of the landscape here, which is appropriately dominated by the ruins of a fortress.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Residue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/residue. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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