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
Dahlias, zinnias, and other cut-and-come-again flowers often come with soil, cobwebs, and detritus attached to them.
—
Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Aug. 2025
Beyond the gate there’s a floating coagulation of detritus.
¶ Sebastopol
The occasional aberration forms in the air.
—Ariel Saramandi, The Dial, 29 July 2025
Should nature call, there are shovel-ready handlers to remove the detritus.
—Kathy Berdan, Twin Cities, 27 July 2025
Republic Services resumed limited trash pickup services to a broad swath of Contra Costa County, as well as other pockets of the Bay Area, after a crippling strike threatened to leave trash and other detritus piling up outside houses and businesses across the region.
—Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 16 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for detritus
Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Aug. 2025
Beyond the gate there’s a floating coagulation of detritus.
¶ Sebastopol
The occasional aberration forms in the air.
—Ariel Saramandi, The Dial, 29 July 2025
Should nature call, there are shovel-ready handlers to remove the detritus.
—Kathy Berdan, Twin Cities, 27 July 2025
Republic Services resumed limited trash pickup services to a broad swath of Contra Costa County, as well as other pockets of the Bay Area, after a crippling strike threatened to leave trash and other detritus piling up outside houses and businesses across the region.
—Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 16 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for detritus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detritus
Noun
-
During one visit, the business was seen recycling construction, demolition and car debris, according to the lawsuit.—
Caleb Lunetta,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Sep. 2025
-
This debris could increase micrometeoroid flux in Earth’s vicinity by up to 1,000 times the background levels, according to researchers.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
By the time the day finally came, school was out for summer, and I was no longer obsessed with rescuing the silver or anything else from the rubble.—
Dana Goodyear,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
-
Three months later, with the rubble still smoldering, Mayor-elect Mike Bloomberg called to ask me to become health commissioner.—
Tom Frieden,
Fortune,
21 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But Barker, 32, and Goldstein, 35, miraculously survived and were spotted a few feet from the wreckage by local resident William Owens, 60, who had been driving near the airport.—
Gillian Telling,
PEOPLE,
20 Sep. 2025
-
In August 2023, three Marines died in the wreckage of an Osprey on Melville Island in Australia.—
Seth Harp,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
From Athens' historic ruins to the shimmering skyscrapers of New York City, global inspiration has been turned into towering confections worthy of a wedding.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
PEOPLE,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Interlaken is all about the outdoors, including hikes through snowy woods—like the three-mile path along Lake Thun through a forest and past fortress ruins that arrives at a lakeside park in Unterseen.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Detritus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detritus. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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