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
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of debris
The child was found on a debris pile more than a mile downstream several hours later along with another young camper who also survived.
—
Ashley Killough, CNN Money, 29 Apr. 2026
During the cleanup effort, a sanitation employee was removing debris from a public sidewalk when a large dog emerged from an area near a parked RV and attacked the employee.
—Nathaniel Percy, Daily News, 29 Apr. 2026
The Mineral Wells storm blew through an industrial park, shredding buildings, ripping apart roofs and scattering debris across the area.
—S.e. Jenkins, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2026
The tornado moved toward Wolters Village, flattening homes and throwing debris, and hit multiple businesses along Washington Avenue.
—Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for debris
Ashley Killough, CNN Money, 29 Apr. 2026
During the cleanup effort, a sanitation employee was removing debris from a public sidewalk when a large dog emerged from an area near a parked RV and attacked the employee.
—Nathaniel Percy, Daily News, 29 Apr. 2026
The Mineral Wells storm blew through an industrial park, shredding buildings, ripping apart roofs and scattering debris across the area.
—S.e. Jenkins, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2026
The tornado moved toward Wolters Village, flattening homes and throwing debris, and hit multiple businesses along Washington Avenue.
—Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for debris
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debris
Noun
-
Lehkonen is a crease-crasher, a garbage collector and a pest, a greasy goal waiting to happen.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Wash them regularly to remove sugary or syrupy residues from garbage such as soda or fruit juices, which attract foraging bees.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Her body was only retrieved from the rubble hours later, rescue workers said.—
Sean Nevin,
NBC news,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The kids who were rescued from the rubble at Briarwood now are in their late teens and early 20s.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Colorado emergency responders closed the westbound lanes of Interstate 76 on Friday morning after a fatal crash the Colorado State Patrol said involved a trash truck and a pedestrian.—
Jesse Sarles,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
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Another 10 gathered on plastic trash and one was on an unused steam table.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Volunteers with Fetch Foster Rescue mobilized to track down cats, dogs and other animals left stranded, separated from their owners or trapped in the wreckage.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Crews reopened some lanes to traffic until the wreckage could be towed.—
Karen Kucher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The dust will take about three weeks to settle.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Scientists identified plant traces by sequencing microscopic DNA fragments found in dust and fibers collected from the Shroud, rather than discovering visible food remains.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Other people are giving up on remote Nyatim and going home to ruins.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
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There are ancient ruins hidden among the peaks of Colombia, and floating islands on Peru’s most sacred lake.—
Carla Vianna,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
From the Japanese point of view, leaving rubbish piled up in a stadium would be a bother to others.—
Stephen Wade,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Local villages are actively monitoring the oceans and reefs in their environment, and backlash to a recent plan from a billionaire Australian to build a giant plant to incinerate rubbish in Fiji was loud and well organized, says Singh.—
MIchelle Duff,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Having junk hauled away costs money.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
26 Apr. 2026
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For me, Storage Wars was an addiction and Darrell was the loveable loser who was always looking for that $40 bill in a pile of junk.—
Joe Kinsey OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debris.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debris. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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