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 Its outer space is filled with cosmic detritus, mean characters and cute critters. — ABC News, 24 June 2026 Despite those efforts, the pool still faced algae blooms and needed to be emptied out periodically to clean out algae, goose droppings and other detritus. — Joe Walsh, CBS News, 19 June 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for detritus

Recent Examples of Synonyms for detritus

Noun

Surveillance footage obtained by The News shows the explosion erupting on the building’s second floor, sending glass and other debris rocketing across the street.

— Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026
The update was published 10 weeks after the hot fire test anomaly, and in parallel Blue Origin has rapidly been working to clear debris around the sprawling Launch Complex 36-A site in Florida and starting to rebuild a launch tower.

— Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of debris

Noun

The rocket’s upper stage will unintentionally slam into the moon on Wednesday, carving out a crater and sending up a plume of dust and rubble that scientists — and skygazers — are eager to observe.

— Marcia Dunn, Fortune, 1 Aug. 2026
Two months after some of the most devastating airstrikes, there are still bodies buried under the rubble.

— Jane Arraf, NPR, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of rubble

Noun

Bong’s nephews went with the search team to bring the wreckage home.

— Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
In May, Trooper Teddy Henderson rammed a vehicle off Arkansas 118 in Mississippi County and was surprised to see a 3-year-old toddler crawl out of the wreckage, unharmed.

— Grant Lancaster, Arkansas Online, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of wreckage

Noun

The production used cliff-top industrial ruins, working harbor settings and historic churches around Cornwall to build its atmosphere.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 6 Aug. 2026
The archeological ruins of the Villa of Tiberius, the Roman emperor who ruled from 17 to 42 CE, were long rumored to lie somewhere between Rome and Naples.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 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 8 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of detritus

noun

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