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Synonyms

trash can

American  

noun

  1. a container for the disposal of dry waste matter.


trash can British  

noun

  1. Also called: ash can.   garbage can.  a US name for dustbin

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

Along with "burner" phones from the US delegation, the confiscated items were tossed in a trash can at the bottom of the stairs of the presidential jet.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

“I’d never been a human trash can before.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 1, 2026

But she seems open to hearing more as she stands there, one hand still resting on her trash can.

From Slate • Oct. 27, 2025

People may dump their morning coffees or afternoon pick-me-up snacks in the trash can before they hop on the bus, which may or may not be cleared in time.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 25, 2025

Then he tore the paper into pieces and threw it in the trash can beside his desk, because how would JB know that they called him JB?

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

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