Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for junkyard. Search instead for junkyards'.
Synonyms

junkyard

American  
[juhngk-yahrd] / ˈdʒʌŋkˌyɑrd /

noun

  1. a yard for the collection, storage, and resale of junk.

junkyard British  
/ ˈdʒʌŋkˌjɑːd /

noun

  1. a place where junk is stored or collected for sale

"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

Etymology

Origin of junkyard

An Americanism first recorded in 1875–80; junk 1 + yard 2

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.

A farmer who owned a Model T didn’t need a forge or metal lathe to fix his engine; he could simply order a replacement part—or cannibalize one from a wrecked car in a junkyard.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025

In 2024, nearly half of Sonoma County’s drone flights involved non-cannabis violations, including construction without a permit, junkyard conditions and zoning violations, according to data included in the complaint.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2025

Soon after, she was attending a national conference of state legislators and decided to tag along on a junkyard tour.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 1, 2024

A huge fire at the Grand Prairie junkyard in Texas has sent a thick plume of smoke into the air.

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2024

“A man ought to have a real belt,” Dad said at breakfast on the day Luke was well enough to return to the junkyard, handing him a leather strap with a steel buckle.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

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.