as in debris
the portion or bits of something left over or behind after it has been destroyed
the expanse of tree stumps represented the detritus of a vast forest that had been mercilessly clear-cut
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of detritus
Preparations have been underway for nearly a year — out of public view — as the development team Centennial Partners cleared furniture, fixtures and detritus from the 19-story building that ceased to function as a hospital in 2008.
—
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
There, Li’s laboratory technician Duncan Hauser stripped microbial detritus from the hornwort’s leaves.
—
Quanta Magazine,
10 June 2026
At its heart was the Gowanus Canal, an open sewer filled with medical waste, industrial chemicals, shipyard detritus and the occasional dead body.
—
Suzanne Van Atten,
AJC.com,
7 June 2026
In Literature and Painting Playset, 2025, a Cartman-like figure wearing a beret splashes daubs of paint on the screen while a female figure in pilgrim dress delivers a long, disjointed monologue patched together by Kokopeli from Quora posts, art history texts, and other online detritus.
—
Theo Belci,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for detritus
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
There, Li’s laboratory technician Duncan Hauser stripped microbial detritus from the hornwort’s leaves.
—
Quanta Magazine,
10 June 2026
At its heart was the Gowanus Canal, an open sewer filled with medical waste, industrial chemicals, shipyard detritus and the occasional dead body.
—
Suzanne Van Atten,
AJC.com,
7 June 2026
In Literature and Painting Playset, 2025, a Cartman-like figure wearing a beret splashes daubs of paint on the screen while a female figure in pilgrim dress delivers a long, disjointed monologue patched together by Kokopeli from Quora posts, art history texts, and other online detritus.
—
Theo Belci,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for detritus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detritus
Noun
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The heat softens and loosens debris in the carpet fibers so it can be vacuumed away.
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Clean Up Birdseed and Debris Fallen birdseed and other organic debris serve as an open invitation to chipmunks.
Noun
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Some held torches to light the way as floodlights appeared to illuminate the rubble against the darkness of night.
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Rescuers have fanned out across La Guaira, where the worst destruction occurred, and parts of Caracas, where families and volunteers have spent days pulling survivors and victims from the rubble.
Noun
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Yet the praise for Alcock feels like watching a plane crash and seeing just one person get miraculously thrown clear of the wreckage without a scratch.
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Many Venezuelans were combing through wreckage in search of loved ones, while others turned to social media in an effort to find relatives and friends who had vanished in the disaster.
Noun
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Unable to leave, residents rely on each other In another neighborhood, a view of the brilliant deep blue of the Mediterranean, a block away, framed the ruins of what had been a famous creamery – Karrit Ice Cream.
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And then the next issue became the funeral, instead of just Scott and Jean hanging out in the ruins.
Cite this Entry
“Detritus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detritus. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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