Thesaurus results for DETRITUS

detritus

noun

di-ˈtrī-təs

Definition of detritus

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

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 detritus The past is not so much foreign as free, free to anyone who is willing to do the work, to enter the past with a spirit of curiosity and a willingness to conjure a living world out of the detritus that history leaves behind. — Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026 Still, even with Ellison’s $111 billion WBD takeover plan under threat from a state attorneys general antitrust suit, $4 million and change is sofa detritus to the son of Larry Ellison. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026 This is where the Sora 70's surface-cleaning functionality came in handy, filling the filter basket with every floating bit of detritus and leaving the pool looking as if there had been no storm at all. — John Mihaly, PC Magazine, 17 Aug. 2026 The dirty sea near the city often carried this kind of detritus to the shore. — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for detritus

Recent Examples of Synonyms for detritus

Noun

Hours after the collapse in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, emergency services spokesperson Bilal Faizi said that everyone trapped beneath the rubble had been pulled out and crews had cleared debris.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
The hurricane had headed for the interior and Palm Beach was already clearing its debris.

— Gerald R. Hunter, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of debris

Noun

Hours after the collapse in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, emergency services spokesperson Bilal Faizi said that everyone trapped beneath the rubble had been pulled out and crews had cleared debris.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
Hours after the collapse in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, emergency services spokesperson Bilal Faizi said everyone trapped beneath the rubble had been pulled out and crews had cleared debris.

— Riaz Khan, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of rubble

Noun

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department divers found Romero’s body in the helicopter wreckage, some 218 feet below, a day later.

— Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
One contractor reported hearing rumors of underwater wreckage — while another claimed to have personally spotted wreckage while conducting survey work at the site.

— Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of wreckage

Noun

Gaza was reduced to ruins, and its people were trapped in a cycle of loss and suffering, as the conflict continued to rage.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026
This chapter is accompanied by somewhat twee images of an owl doll, a bottle of designer perfume, a high heel, and a golden microphone positioned against various ancient Greek ruins, including the Parthenon and the Monument of the Eponymous Heroes.

— Stephanie Wambugu, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of ruins

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detriments

detritus

de trop

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“Detritus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detritus. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of detritus

noun

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