rubble

1 of 2

noun

rub·​ble ˈrə-bəl How to pronounce rubble (audio)
Synonyms of rubble
1
a
: broken fragments (as of rock) resulting from the decay or destruction of a building
… fortifications knocked into rubble.C. S. Forester
b
: a miscellaneous confused mass or group of usually broken or worthless things
2
: waterworn or rough broken stones or bricks used in coarse masonry or in filling courses of walls
3
: rough stone as it comes from the quarry

rubble

2 of 2

verb

rubbled; rubbling ˈrə-b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce rubble (audio)

transitive verb

: to reduce to rubble

Examples of rubble in a Sentence

Noun Rescue workers managed to pull two injured people out of the rubble. The earthquake reduced the whole town to rubble.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
His dream family apartment overlooking the Mediterranean Sea was a heap of rubble and shattered glass. ABC News, 18 June 2026 Gary was rescued from the rubble by a storm chaser and photographer. Noel Brennan, CBS News, 17 June 2026 The agency reported rescue teams were searching for people trapped under rubble and were assessing ​risks of additional temblors. Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 16 June 2026 Cleared of rubble and Palestinians, of course. Marzio G. Mian, Vanity Fair, 16 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for rubble

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English robyl

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1944, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rubble was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rubble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rubble. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

rubble

noun
rub·​ble
ˈrəb-əl
1
: rough broken stones or bricks used in building
2
: a confused mass of rough or broken things

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