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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of debris
The blaze burned for hours before it was eventually contained, and teams worked through Thursday morning, putting out hotspots and scouring the debris.
—
Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 11 Apr. 2025
Gather Your Tools Heavy-duty leather gloves or rose gauntlets, sharp bypass pruners, a pair of loppers, a rake, and a bucket or wheelbarrow for debris will make speedy work of pruning Knock Out roses.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Apr. 2025
Common causes include leaving campfires unattended, burning debris, negligently discarding a cigarette, or committing arson.
—Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2025
For now, when ash and debris left in the estate will be removed is unclear, as is when the fate of the historic site will be decided, said Matt Teague, North Buttes District superintendent of California State Parks, in an interview.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacramento Bee, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debris
Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 11 Apr. 2025
Gather Your Tools Heavy-duty leather gloves or rose gauntlets, sharp bypass pruners, a pair of loppers, a rake, and a bucket or wheelbarrow for debris will make speedy work of pruning Knock Out roses.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Apr. 2025
Common causes include leaving campfires unattended, burning debris, negligently discarding a cigarette, or committing arson.
—Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2025
For now, when ash and debris left in the estate will be removed is unclear, as is when the fate of the historic site will be decided, said Matt Teague, North Buttes District superintendent of California State Parks, in an interview.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacramento Bee, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debris
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debris
Noun
-
Mountains of garbage are said to be visible from space and people have complained of seeing rats as big as cats in the refuse.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Apr. 2025
-
With the parent club, Davison has been stuck behind Derrick White, Jrue Holiday and Payton Pritchard on the backcourt depth chart, limiting him to 15 mostly garbage-time appearances this season.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
12 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Amy Downs, a 28-year-old bank teller at the time of the attack, spent six hours in the rubble of the federal building before being rescued, and the moment marked a transformation in her life.—
Alex Gurley,
People.com,
19 Apr. 2025
-
Firefighters continued to search the rubble and spray hot spots into Thursday morning.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Inhaled silica dust particles travel down airways and into the smallest spaces of the lung, causing scarring and eventually difficulty breathing, often becoming so severe that a lung transplant might be the only solution to avoid death.—
Dr. Mark Abdelmalek,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2025
-
On the moon and Mars, dust particles are very sharp.—
Margherita Bassi,
Smithsonian Magazine,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Investigators are continuing to search for wreckage using side-scanning sonar.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Despite its initially violent impact, leading to ocean-churning tsunamis and globe-crossing flying wreckage, this impactor also left behind tremendous opportunity.—
Max Bennett,
Discover Magazine,
12 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Because of their risk of catching fire, lithium-ion batteries cannot be thrown out in the trash, curbside bins, or even battery recycling boxes.—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2025
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Fruit flies will also target places where food is disposed of, like your trash bins or drains.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The site was first excavated beginning in 1995, and in 2018, scientists began collecting, analyzing and radiocarbon dating fossils unearthed from El Gigante rubbish piles.—
GrrlScientist,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
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Last year, a dumpster diver in Hudson, New York, stumbled upon an extraordinary find: An 18th-century pen-and-ink sketch by English portraitist George Romney was hidden amid the rubbish.—
Eli Wizevich,
Smithsonian Magazine,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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As a result of these reentries, however, the amount of space junk burning up in the upper layers of the atmosphere is increasing, which worries some atmospheric scientists.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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What about that wily junk dealer, or the creepy cemetery?—
Kevin Purdy,
ArsTechnica,
5 Apr. 2025
Noun
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April 19: McVeigh parks the truck outside the federal building and flees on foot to his getaway car.—
Todd Pendleton,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
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While McVeigh was in custody, the FBI was compiling evidence that connected him to the scene, including a piece of the truck that blew up the building.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
18 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debris.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debris. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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