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
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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
Once the product has had a chance to soak in, blot the area with a towel dampened with water to remove any residue.
—
Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Jan. 2026
But the agency itself didn’t regularly test the drugs or proactively monitor reports filed by doctors and others that described drugs with a foul odor, abnormal taste or residue, or consumers who had experienced sudden or unexplained health problems.
—Debbie Cenziper, ProPublica, 30 Dec. 2025
The team approached the problem by taking samples of organs from cadavers and dissolving them, removing presumably normal tissue and leaving behind a residue of what might be plastic.
—F.d. Flam, Twin Cities, 25 Dec. 2025
Baker has had her sheet set for over six months and noticed that some of her hair products leave residue on the pillowcases, even after running them through the wash.
—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for residue
Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Jan. 2026
But the agency itself didn’t regularly test the drugs or proactively monitor reports filed by doctors and others that described drugs with a foul odor, abnormal taste or residue, or consumers who had experienced sudden or unexplained health problems.
—Debbie Cenziper, ProPublica, 30 Dec. 2025
The team approached the problem by taking samples of organs from cadavers and dissolving them, removing presumably normal tissue and leaving behind a residue of what might be plastic.
—F.d. Flam, Twin Cities, 25 Dec. 2025
Baker has had her sheet set for over six months and noticed that some of her hair products leave residue on the pillowcases, even after running them through the wash.
—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for residue
Recent Examples of Synonyms for residue
Noun
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Rescuers retrieved eight people alive and were searching for the missing still trapped after a huge mound of garbage and debris collapsed on them in the village of Binaliw in Cebu city, police said.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The offer also will work for any of the three Thanksgiving NFL games and remainder of the Week 13 slate.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Nov. 2025
-
See list for remainder of 2025, start of 2026 Remaining full moons in 2025 Thursday, Dec. 4: Cold Moon John Tufts covers trending news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
In the first image rubble from the fire is visible and the land is a charred brown.—
Terry Castleman,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Jan. 2026
-
First responders carried many of the injured, who were trapped under rubble, out on stretchers, and detection dogs were used to ensure that rescuers located everyone trapped in the debris, per the BBC.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Plant dormancy is a type of physiological rest.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
9 Jan. 2026
-
On Thursday, tight end Hunter Henry (rest), right tackle (Morgan Moses (illness) and linebacker Robert Spillane (ankle) were all upgraded to full participation.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Slowly and painfully, state leaders learned to recognize that — cheered on by their constituents, who don’t want to live in communities blighted by sprawl and surrounded by environmental wreckage.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Jan. 2026
-
An emergency response member rushes over to the wreckage and attempts to put the fire out with an extinguisher.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
This stellar remnant is a white dwarf, the exhausted stellar core left over when a star around the same mass as the sun runs out of the fuel for nuclear fusion and sheds its outer layers.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Inside, the last clusters of conversation continued over champagne and the remnants of that improbable charcuterie spread.—
Rachel Marlowe,
Vanity Fair,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Caruso said the ruins should be torn down.—
Roger Vincent,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
-
In the ruins of the kitchen sat two cast-iron Le Creuset stew pots — the only survivors.—
Jonathan Taplin,
Rolling Stone,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Residue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/residue. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
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