dust 1 of 2

noun

ˈdəst How to pronounce dust (audio)
Definition of dustnext
1
as in debris
discarded or useless material the piles of dust that future archaeologists will sift through for insights into our civilization

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in soil
the solid part of our planet's surface as distinguished from the sea and air laid him out in the dust with one blow to the head

Synonyms & Similar Words

dust

2 of 2

verb

as in to smoke
to defeat by a large margin the inexperienced sprinter somehow dusted the field of veterans

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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 dust
Noun
Each bin features a weatherproof gasket seal that locks out moisture and dust and keeps your belongings looking and smelling fresh. — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Aug. 2026 Al-Masri routinely covered equipment with a white cloth to protect it from the sun and dust, a common practice among journalists in Gaza and other hot climates. — Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Verb
While fans applauded the spectacle, Parrish dusted himself off and returned to mid-field. — Abby Disalvo, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Aug. 2026 There’s local cheese dusted with bee pollen from the island’s own hives. — Monica Mendal, Vogue, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dust
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dust
  1. debris
  2. soil
  3. smoke
  4. garbage
  5. land
  6. overcome
  7. trash
  8. ground
Noun
  • Chinese surveillance footage from the Tibetan side of the border shows a huge wall of mud and debris crashing over buildings and engulfing roads as people desperately try to flee the torrent.
    — Diaa Hadid, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026
  • An ice and rock avalanche from a high-altitude glacier may have triggered the flooding, with a large volume of debris entering the Lende Khola tributary, researchers have said in a preliminary assessment.
    — Josh Feldman, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of debris
Noun
  • After about a month of consistently moist soil in a warm place with bright, indirect light, your chrysanthemum cutting should be rooted.
    — Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Stronger downdraft winds and loose, dry soil can impact how much dust is lifted into the air.
    — Brandi D. Addison, AZCentral.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of soil
Verb
  • Crews were not able to fly over the fire for several days due to smoke and visibility concerns, but were able to map it Saturday at 24,839 acres, Beyer said.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • That figure is up 10 percentage points from 2013, when Gallup first asked the question and found that 7% of adults smoked cannabis.
    — Dario Sabaghi, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of smoke
Noun
  • William Gottlieb’s suit also notes that Urban Zen hosts catered gatherings that generate food garbage, therefore creating fodder for the rats.
    — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Once on the first floor, state police found that this area of the home was also cluttered with various things as well as large black garbage bags filled with unknown items, the search warrant said.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of garbage
Noun
  • Those payloads give crews a visible way to assess where training rockets land during live-fire exercises.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Instead, he’s spent August anxiously watching the orange skies from his house in the northern Nevada hills through two consecutive and adjacent wild-land fires, the Bug and Hawk Fires.
    — Anya Kamenetz, Curbed, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of land
Verb
  • The Tar Heels’ ability to overcome some sloppiness — and, yes, take advantage of a slew of TCU mistakes — was a positive intangible sign after Belichick’s brutal debut season and offseason.
    — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • But to overcome 30 years of Republican dominance, Talarico needs votes from everywhere.
    — Eleanor Dearman Updated August 29, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of overcome
Noun
  • To paraphrase Tolstoy, all slop is alike, but every piece of trash is trashy in its own oddball way.
    — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Four months later, he was seen last weekend walking dogs, taking walks, enjoying a cup of coffee in a garage, and even stopping to sift through neighborhood trash items on the side of the street.
    — Kelsie Cairns, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of trash
Noun
  • The movie, featured in the Venice Spotlight section of the fest, looks to break new ground.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026
  • In this context, Lord’s has more than done its bit — no English ground has seen more swing movement or more seam movement post-pandemic.
    — Ben Jones Aug. 26, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of ground

Phrases Containing dust

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dusky
dust
dustbin
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Cite this Entry

“Dust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dust. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on dust

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dust

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