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
Cleaning the Soil The first step is the easiest; removing unwanted debris, roots, or pests.
—
Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 25 Apr. 2025
Astronomers have spotted a distant planet shedding matter with each orbit around its host star, generating a comet-like tail of debris.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Apr. 2025
Plus, the model has LED headlights to illuminate hidden dirt, debris, hair, and more for a more efficient and thorough cleaning.
—Maggie Horton, People.com, 23 Apr. 2025
The trio were mere inches past the manhole when the explosion sent chunks of concrete and debris flying in all directions, and the three pedestrians bolting.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debris
Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 25 Apr. 2025
Astronomers have spotted a distant planet shedding matter with each orbit around its host star, generating a comet-like tail of debris.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Apr. 2025
Plus, the model has LED headlights to illuminate hidden dirt, debris, hair, and more for a more efficient and thorough cleaning.
—Maggie Horton, People.com, 23 Apr. 2025
The trio were mere inches past the manhole when the explosion sent chunks of concrete and debris flying in all directions, and the three pedestrians bolting.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debris
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debris
Noun
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Unlike a regular old garbage bag, these are leakproof and durable (and thus much harder for a squirrel to rip into, if given the chance).—
Sara Coughlin,
SELF,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Four 20-pound bags of hamburger buns and sandwich breads got hit with Stop Sales, sending 80 pounds of bread into the garbage.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
The optional speakers can run on battery power for up to eight hours (recharged via USB-C port), and are rated to IP54 dust and water resistance.—
John Archer,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
-
By analyzing the colors and structures within the dust cocoons, scientists infer the composition, density and temperature of the gas and dust — crucial insights into the conditions necessary for stars to ignite. 5.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The collapse of the communist regime had left behind unimaginable wreckage: the economy was dead, corruption was everywhere, people's spirits had been utterly crushed.—
Mohammed Soliman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Apr. 2025
-
The oldest survivor of Flight 212, Mihalek was 46 at the time of the crash and helped pull co-pilot Jim Daniels away from the wreckage.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
On April 1, the Sanitation Department started to fine any building owners who flout the new rules, which took effect in October and require landlords to make sure food and other organic waste be separated from regular trash and placed in bins on the curb for pickup.—
Chris Sommerfeldt,
New York Daily 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 2 May. 2025.
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