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
Work now focuses on removing large components from inside those iconic domes, as well as shipping debris off site, officials told the volunteer San Onofre Community Engagement Panel last week.
—
Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 5 Sep. 2025
They’re done to improve the health of an ecosystem by clearing the ground of invasive weeds and reducing leaf and plant debris.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
Excessive rainfall over the burn scar will result in debris flow moving through the North Canyon Wash.
—AZCentral.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Tonsil stones occur when trapped food debris, bacteria, dead cells, or other material calcify (harden) to form solid lumps in your tonsillar crypts.41
Researchers don’t fully understand why tonsil stones form.
—Mark Gurarie, Health, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debris
Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 5 Sep. 2025
They’re done to improve the health of an ecosystem by clearing the ground of invasive weeds and reducing leaf and plant debris.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
Excessive rainfall over the burn scar will result in debris flow moving through the North Canyon Wash.
—AZCentral.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Tonsil stones occur when trapped food debris, bacteria, dead cells, or other material calcify (harden) to form solid lumps in your tonsillar crypts.41
Researchers don’t fully understand why tonsil stones form.
—Mark Gurarie, Health, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debris
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debris
Noun
-
Start With Clean, Reliable Data Garbage in, garbage out.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
By the end, Flacco was removed from the game and rookie Dillon Gabriel led a garbage-time touchdown drive capped by an 8-yard scoring pass to Dylan Sampson.—
Zac Jackson,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Every window was blown out, and rubble littered the ground.—
Ken Harbaugh,
The Atlantic,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Images from the incident show firefighters on the scene searching through the rubble of the building following the explosion.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
After the new additions of Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Kam Patterson and Veronika Slowikowska (as well as Please Don’t Destroy member Ben Marshall), it was believed that the dust had settled on the cast shakeups.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
13 Sep. 2025
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And once the dust clears, the mystery is overshadowed by all the broken people left in its wake.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
What To Know Warsaw said that Russian drones violated Polish airspace 19 times on the night of September 9 and 10, with data showing the wreckage of Russian drones across the country.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Footage of the aftermath of the collision posted on social media shows a large fire and pillars of dark smoke emanating from the wreckage.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Soldiers have also been spotted in parks carrying out tasks typically assigned to gardeners and landscapers – shoveling mulch, blowing leaves and scooping up trash.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
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When the news first spread through the Burning Man rumor mill, the first reaction seemed to be confusion — rumors there are supposed to be about whether Daft Punk is playing at the trash fence or a major art piece burn has been rescheduled, not a grisly death.—
Denver Nicks,
Rolling Stone,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
With its quiet chapels, ancient ruins, vineyards, and the island’s restaurant La Tonnelle, Saint-Honorat is a place where visitors are welcome, but peace is preserved.—
Jeryl Brunner,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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That includes stepping back in time to see ruins in Greece, Italy, and Egypt, as well as wildlife and nature-based trips, such as the Galapagos Islands.—
Anna Halkidis,
Parents,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the police headquarters in Denpasar, Bali’s capital, on Saturday as some burned rubbish on the street and police fired tear gas into the crowd.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
1 Sep. 2025
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Pieces of plastic, including bottles, bags, straws and cutlery, make up two thirds of the rubbish found in rivers around the world, according to a new analysis.—
Jamie Hailstone,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Only keep tools in your junk drawer that are regularly used inside the house for everyday projects.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
17 Sep. 2025
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The huge amounts of space junk in orbit, ranging from nuts and bolts to rocket fairings and dead satellites, pose a serious hazard to satellites and the International Space Station, which has to regularly take evasive action to dodge space shrapnel, much of which is moving faster than a bullet.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debris.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debris. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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