as in garbage
discarded or useless material
get rid of the dross before closing up the shop
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Recent Examples of dross
And we are asked to make the leap ourselves—men were also sacrificed as dross.
—
Literary Hub, 20 May 2026
The downside of all of these riches is the dross accompanying the gold.
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 27 Feb. 2026
What tabloid dross tends to obscure is his impressive career—first as a star dancer at the New York City Ballet, then as a roving choreographer of complex, dynamic work that is rooted in balletic conventions but not restricted by them.
—Sara Krolewski, The Atlantic, 4 Jan. 2026
These meteors are the dross shed by the comet 169P/NEAT, whose path Earth crosses at this time each year.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 16 July 2025
Amongst all the dross and angst, Neil and Teddy try to talk everyone into investing in a baseball-card trading venture that might generate $500 in profits after a year.
—Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 19 June 2025
But among the dross there gleam a few brilliant exceptions—deceptive, slippery books that defy the constraints of region and genre.
—Charlie Lee, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
The chipmaker is still raising cash and cutting costs though, as there seems to be quite a bit of dross.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 25 Apr. 2025
Many experience mental health challenges on top of the physical toll of making something out of the unending dross Kantamanto is pummeled with.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019
Literary Hub, 20 May 2026
The downside of all of these riches is the dross accompanying the gold.
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 27 Feb. 2026
What tabloid dross tends to obscure is his impressive career—first as a star dancer at the New York City Ballet, then as a roving choreographer of complex, dynamic work that is rooted in balletic conventions but not restricted by them.
—Sara Krolewski, The Atlantic, 4 Jan. 2026
These meteors are the dross shed by the comet 169P/NEAT, whose path Earth crosses at this time each year.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 16 July 2025
Amongst all the dross and angst, Neil and Teddy try to talk everyone into investing in a baseball-card trading venture that might generate $500 in profits after a year.
—Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 19 June 2025
But among the dross there gleam a few brilliant exceptions—deceptive, slippery books that defy the constraints of region and genre.
—Charlie Lee, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
The chipmaker is still raising cash and cutting costs though, as there seems to be quite a bit of dross.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 25 Apr. 2025
Many experience mental health challenges on top of the physical toll of making something out of the unending dross Kantamanto is pummeled with.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dross
Noun
-
In response, the city provided free vaccination to dogs at the encampment, removed 40 tons of garbage and provided outreach to residents to mitigate the risk of leptospirosis.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
-
While the Doral incinerator used to burn about half of the county’s daily trash supply, Miami-Dade is now using trucks and trains to send its garbage to landfills across Florida.—
Douglas Hanks
June 11,
Miami Herald,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Stay away from windows as flying debris generated by damaging winds can be deadly.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
12 June 2026
-
The weather service also urged people to avoid windows, and if outdoors, in a mobile home or in a vehicle to seek the closest substantial shelter and to protect themselves from flying debris.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
So where does the rubbish come from?—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Footwear News,
8 June 2026
-
With no petrol to run dustbin trucks, rubbish is being burnt in the streets.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
However, the building is now vacant and has become an eyesore and a safety concern, attracting trash, rodents and even squatters.—
Raymond Strickland,
CBS News,
11 Dec. 2025
-
In states like Montana and Colorado, residents install bear-resistant dumpsters and trash bins.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
11 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Doremus Avenue and the warehouses and tank farms and truck lots and junk yards along it are not far from the Passaic River.—
Ian Frazier,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
-
The bad news is that the Zhuque-2E’s breakup is the latest chapter in China’s growing contribution to the space junk problem.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
Otherwise the food may rot or the dust collection bag will grow mold, causing your vacuum to stink.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
14 June 2026
-
Its windshield had been shattered, and every car nearby was coated in a layer of spray paint, dust and fire-extinguisher residue.—
Antonio Ferme,
Variety,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
That parent body later drifted into the inner solar system, broke apart in the asteroid belt, and eventually reassembled into the rubble-pile asteroid now known as Bennu.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
3 Dec. 2025
-
Israeli military operations had penetrated deep into Gaza’s cities, turning entire neighborhoods into rubble, while the Rafah crossing was closed, food was scarce, and pain hung in the air like dust.—
The Dial,
The Dial,
2 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dross.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dross. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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