rubble
Americannoun
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broken bits and pieces of anything, as that which is demolished.
Bombing reduced the town to rubble.
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any solid substance, as ice, in irregularly broken pieces.
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rough fragments of broken stone, formed by geological processes, in quarrying, etc., and sometimes used in masonry.
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masonry built of rough fragments of broken stone.
noun
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fragments of broken stones, bricks, etc
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any fragmented solid material, esp the debris from ruined buildings
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quarrying the weathered surface layer of rock
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Also called: rubblework. masonry constructed of broken pieces of rock, stone, etc
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of rubble
1350–1400; Middle English rubel, robil < ?; cf. rubbish
Explanation
The pile of crumbled debris that's left over after something breaks or collapses is rubble. Famous scenes of rubble include the fallen Twin Towers on September 11 and the remains of the Haitian capital after the 2010 earthquake. Rubble rhymes with "bubble," but when a bubble bursts, it just dissolves into liquid, while rubble is piles of rock, concrete, brick, and other remains that are a very physical reminder of destruction. Rock slides create rubble from rocks, and natural disasters and explosions create rubble from buildings, cars, and trees. Unfortunately, rubble is usually heavy and can trap people or things beneath it, as when bodies are found in the rubble of a fire or earthquake.
Vocabulary lists containing rubble
"There Will Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury (1950)
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Milkweed
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"The End and the Beginning," Vocabulary from the poem
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Deivid knew that climbing into the rubble would put his sons at risk, but they would not be deterred from searching for their missing family members.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
“It will take years to remove so much rubble, to rebuild. Maybe we won’t be alive to know what happens.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
The first two days after an earthquake are crucial for finding survivors under rubble, with some experts saying there is a 72-hour window, after which hopes quickly tail off.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
Peppered with shrapnel and emerging out of rubble, a sign continues to display the price of unleaded petrol.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
Long, cool perspectives of modern architecture, rising phosphorescent and eerie from the rubble.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
