white elephant

noun

Definition of white elephantnext
as in throwaway

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for white elephant
  1. throwaway
  2. castaway
  3. second
  4. rubbish
  5. trash
  6. waste
  7. scrap
Noun
  • The subject remains a sensitive one in Indonesia, and the film reflects it subtly – a throwaway line at the start describes how a Chinese character has had to register his business under his, supposedly, native Indonesian son-in-law.
    — Marcus Lim, Variety, 18 June 2026
  • Plastic throwaway containers have become a part of our everyday lives.
    — Kelley Dennings, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 June 2026
Definition of throwaway
Noun
  • But the Hurricanes turned speedy castaways like Ehlers, Miller, Taylor Hall and Eric Robinson into Cup champions.
    — Murat Ates, New York Times, 17 June 2026
  • Rams castaway Cooper Kupp still boasts an unexpected wry sense of humor.
    — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
Definition of castaway
Noun
  • There have been 35 goals within five seconds of a corner being taken.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 14 July 2026
  • Players each have 30 seconds on a personal clock, so whoever takes the longest and runs out of time first — sometimes because Jacquis calls for detailed clarifications — gets booted.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 July 2026
Definition of second
Noun
  • 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
  • So where does the rubbish come from?
    — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 8 June 2026
Definition of rubbish
Noun
  • Attorneys for the owners of the landfill, which stopped accepting trash last year, claimed this spring in the litigation that the lawsuits may be tainted by fraud.
    — Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026
  • The concrete bleachers around the basketball court was teeming with trash, plastic cups, and bottles of alcohol.
    — Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 11 July 2026
Definition of trash
Noun
  • Separate recyclables and food waste from general waste, use the blue bags for what is left, and don't be surprised if your host checks your work.
    — Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
  • The man who is never the smartest or hardest working person in the room has brought to Connecticut a team of combatants who are devoted to winning by laying waste to anyone, especially women, who gets in the way.
    — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 11 July 2026
Definition of waste
Noun
  • Ethiopian content creator Kalu Putik has grabbed the attention of the fashion world with his outfits made from old clothes, shoes, and garbage scraps.
    — Jenny Vaughan, semafor.com, 13 July 2026
  • That's compared to the scrap value of some more expensive EV batteries, packed with pricier minerals, where instead of charging a gate fee, recyclers are willing to pay $2 a kilogram or more for scrap.
    — Camila Domonoske, NPR, 13 July 2026
Definition of scrap
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.

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white dwarfs
white elephant
white elephants
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Cite this Entry

“White elephant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/white%20elephant. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

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