1
as in garbage
discarded or useless material
the unsightly debris left after mining operations had ceased
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rubble
the portion or bits of something left over or behind after it has been destroyed
the demolition workers cleared away all of the debris from the demolished building
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of debris
Subway service on the 1 line was restored late Tuesday afternoon after a southbound train hit some debris on the track and caused a smoke condition in the 191st St. station in Manhattan, the Daily News has learned.
—
Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 25 Feb. 2025
Primarily bottom dwellers, the species prefers to hide in crevices or under rocks and debris in the water.
—Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 2025
The crash scattered debris over 845 square miles, creating a massive crime scene that required thousands of American and Scottish investigators.
—Faith Karimi, CNN, 23 Feb. 2025
With Trump threatening 25% taxes on car imports, Tokyo is realizing that the debris field will be much wider than just how much tariffs slam China.
—William Pesek, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debris
Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 25 Feb. 2025
Primarily bottom dwellers, the species prefers to hide in crevices or under rocks and debris in the water.
—Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 2025
The crash scattered debris over 845 square miles, creating a massive crime scene that required thousands of American and Scottish investigators.
—Faith Karimi, CNN, 23 Feb. 2025
With Trump threatening 25% taxes on car imports, Tokyo is realizing that the debris field will be much wider than just how much tariffs slam China.
—William Pesek, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debris
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debris
Noun
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People will be painting, planting trees, spreading mulch and cleaning up garbage starting at 9 a.m.—
Sal Pizarro,
The Mercury News,
5 Mar. 2025
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Other videos on social media show people picking up food scraps from the garbage.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
4 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Command centers and weapons storage facilities, once the backbone of its operational capabilities, have been reduced to rubble.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
Newsweek,
26 Feb. 2025
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Layla didn’t want friends or neighbors to send her pictures of the rubble.—
Bill Dwyre,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Astronomers believe ice connected to small dust grains is where most of the water in the universe can be found — and is likely where the water that created Earth’s oceans originated. SPHEREx will be able to create a map of the sky through different wavelengths of infrared light.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN,
8 Mar. 2025
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For example, biomedical scientists and clinicians trained by NIH grants are addressing locally relevant issues such as coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, commonly known as black lung disease, which occurs when coal dust is inhaled.—
Mitzi Nagarkatti,
The Conversation,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Modern international law emerged from the wreckage of world wars.—
Gyunduz Mamedov,
TIME,
24 Feb. 2025
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The event also brought attendees back to its storied spot along the West Coast (coincidentally, the location is changing next year) — just a few miles south of the wreckage left by last month’s devastating wildfires in the Pacific Palisades.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
24 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Inspectors put two coolers at a Miami 7-Eleven on the Do Not Use list and the trash was the new home for bacon, cheeseburgers, milk, Jamaican meat patties and other food in one of those coolers.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
2 Mar. 2025
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When the Denver City Council approved the new trash collection program in 2022, one of the selling points was a doubling of recycling collection frequency from every other week to weekly.—
Elliott Wenzler,
The Denver Post,
26 Feb. 2025
Noun
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But — and here’s the punchline most of you already saw coming — despite the many things that have happened since May 2022, Manchester United are rubbish.—
Carl Anka,
The Athletic,
20 Feb. 2025
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Seven-year-old Maria and her mother live in their own loving world built on sorting through bins and collecting shiny rubbish.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
31 Jan. 2025
Noun
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By embracing these principles, leaders can not only protect themselves against the noise of junk trends but also create environments where thoughtful decision-making thrives.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes,
3 Mar. 2025
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Last spring, space junk from the International Space Station crashed into a home in Florida.—
Sara Hashemi,
Smithsonian Magazine,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
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By reframing warehousing as a space of innovation, where robots and optimization replace forklifts and trucks, the industry can attract a new generation of talent.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes,
1 Mar. 2025
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As cream always rises to the top, this truck is one outstanding machine.—
Marc D Grasso,
Hartford Courant,
1 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debris.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debris. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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