deadwood

noun

ˈded-ˌwu̇d How to pronounce deadwood (audio)
Definition of deadwoodnext
as in debris
discarded or useless material much of the material in the file cabinets is just deadwood

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of deadwood When removing any deadwood, cut just above the branch collar. — Gemma Johnstone, The Spruce, 18 Jan. 2026 The pyre was probably built by collecting and assembling at least 30 kilograms of deadwood and grass, which would have required considerable community effort. — ArsTechnica, 5 Jan. 2026 Trying to talk sense into him would be useless, however, so a wounded Leroy hands off the dagger to Will and gives him instructions on where to bury it, reasoning that Will and his friends will be able to get to the deadwood without the military spotting them. — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 15 Dec. 2025 With Rich's ghostly helping hand, Will, Lilly, Ronnie, and Marge are able to plant the dagger in the deadwood's roots, re-lock the cage, and send It back into one of its 27-year hibernation periods. — Megan McCluskey, Time, 15 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for deadwood
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deadwood
  1. debris
  2. garbage
  3. rubbish
  4. trash
  5. junk
  6. dust
Noun
  • Hours after the collapse in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, emergency services spokesperson Bilal Faizi said that everyone trapped beneath the rubble had been pulled out and crews had cleared debris.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The hurricane had headed for the interior and Palm Beach was already clearing its debris.
    — Gerald R. Hunter, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of debris
Noun
  • Prosecutors said Aurora was one of seven children, ages 2 months to 17 years, who lived in an east San José house on Lancelot Lane that was filled with cockroaches, pet feces, garbage and mold.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Clean your car full of garbage elsewhere and don’t hold up a line of customers.
    — Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of garbage
Noun
  • Twisted Teens are far from rubbish, but that isn't stopping them from playing in the trash for their latest music video.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 7 Oct. 2026
  • This comes at the expense of no movement in the wrist, but to be fair, having the lightsaber pointed in any other direction would look rubbish.
    — Matt Gardner, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of rubbish
Noun
  • Officers in riot gear clashed with youths who set up street barricades using burning trash bins.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • In another demonstration, Argon helped a Boston Dynamics Spot robot practice opening a foot-pedal trash bin in simulation before attempting the task with physical objects.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of trash
Noun
  • The room smelled of cigarettes and sweat; the floor was littered with clothes, junk-food wrappers, and empty packs of Gauloises.
    — Ben Taub, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The latest downgrade follows Fitch plunging the district’s bond rating to junk status in the spring.
    — Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of junk
Noun
  • And even for those who are holding down jobs, raises and promotions have become like gold dust.
    — Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Biddy covered most of the journey on foot—the equivalent of about six million steps—herding animals at the rear of her owner’s wagon company and choking her way through a moving screen of dust kicked up by the migrant caravan.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of dust

Browse Nearby Words

deadweights
deadwood
deafening
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Cite this Entry

“Deadwood.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deadwood. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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