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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Recent Examples of detritus
The avalanche temporarily dammed the Lonza River, which runs through Blatten, and small lakes, filled with dead trees and detritus from homes, formed on each side of the village.
—
Daniel A. Gross, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2025
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
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
Each day, searchers find remnants of what could be detritus from the camp: Child-size life vests, pillowcases, swim goggles, girls T-shirts, underwear, headless Barbie dolls.
—Rick Jervis, USA Today, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for detritus
Daniel A. Gross, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2025
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
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
Each day, searchers find remnants of what could be detritus from the camp: Child-size life vests, pillowcases, swim goggles, girls T-shirts, underwear, headless Barbie dolls.
—Rick Jervis, USA Today, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for detritus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detritus
Noun
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There’s a lot of stuff in the ocean, and marine debris tends to aggregate in the same places as does the whale sharks’ primary prey.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
24 Oct. 2025
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Next, vacuum the filter using a soft-bristle brush attachment to remove the bulk of the dust and debris buildup.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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There, heaped into a sad pile of rubble, is a part of the world’s most recognizable structures, one that’s been etched into our minds via many film and TV series that recreated the homebase for fictional political dynasties and presidents.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Oct. 2025
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Thousands of Palestinians are believed to be buried under the rubble.—
Ibrahim Dahman,
CNN Money,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The crash closed most of the westbound lanes of busy Interstate 10 in Ontario for several hours as CHP and crews investigated the wreck and cleared away wreckage.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
23 Oct. 2025
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Earlier this year, Miley Cyrus reflected on the wreckage and destruction caused by the fires that devastated multiple areas of Los Angeles.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Will there be future fairy tales about birds whose feathers glow in the dark nesting in the ruins of primitive power plants of past ages?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Oct. 2025
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Teenagers can only take so many historical facts or visits to ancient ruins and notable churches.—
Beth Luberecki,
USA Today,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Detritus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detritus. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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