rubble

1 of 2

noun

rub·​ble ˈrə-bəl How to pronounce rubble (audio)
Synonyms of rubble
1
a
: broken fragments (as of rock) resulting from the decay or destruction of a building
… fortifications knocked into rubble.—C. S. Forester
b
: a miscellaneous confused mass or group of usually broken or worthless things
2
: waterworn or rough broken stones or bricks used in coarse masonry or in filling courses of walls
3
: rough stone as it comes from the quarry

rubble

2 of 2

verb

rubbled; rubbling ˈrə-b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce rubble (audio)

transitive verb

: to reduce to rubble

Synonyms of rubble

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Noun

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Examples of rubble in a Sentence

Noun Rescue workers managed to pull two injured people out of the rubble. The earthquake reduced the whole town to rubble.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
In the footage, the sound of barking can be heard coming from a dark crevice in the rubble. — Stephen Smith, CBS News, 1 July 2026 In footage of the rescue, Klieber is first seen lying still on his stomach in the rubble. — Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026 The restrictions come as time is rapidly running out for those still trapped beneath the rubble. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026 Thousands of people are feared dead as the official death toll continues to rise and hope diminishes for finding survivors in the rubble. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for rubble

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English robyl

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1944, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rubble was in the 14th century

Rhymes for rubble

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Browse Nearby Words

rubbishy
rubble
rubble ashlar
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rubble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rubble. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

rubble

noun
rub·​ble
ˈrəb-əl
1
: rough broken stones or bricks used in building
2
: a confused mass of rough or broken things

More from Merriam-Webster on rubble

Nglish: Translation of rubble for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rubble

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