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
Some feed on other small living matter like algae, plankton, arthropods, and other worms, while others simply eat detritus: loose, dead organic material in the sediment.
—
Owen Clarke, Outside, 11 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
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
See All Example Sentences for detritus
Owen Clarke, Outside, 11 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
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
See All Example Sentences for detritus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detritus
Noun
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Do not burn debris or other items during an air quality alert.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In the village outside Lviv where the family members were killed, rescue workers dug through heaps of rubble.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Although efforts continue, emergency responders say their mission has shifted from rescue to recovery after using thermal drones and other tools to search for anyone who might still be alive underneath the rubble, The New York Times reported.—
Jillian Frankel,
PEOPLE,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
There was wreckage everywhere in the immediate moments that followed a crushing 4-3 loss that will cast doubt on everything the Phillies have built here.—
Matt Gelb,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Firefighters removed Pelin from the elevator wreckage before transporting her to a local hospital for treatment, where she was pronounced dead.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
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But on that record, even the happiest songs had a kind of love-among-the-ruins feel, where the romanticism seemed hard-fought.—
Liz Schubauer,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The colt doesn’t know the racetrack he was bred for – the pride of Ruidoso – lies in ruins for the second year running, gutted by floodwaters that turned familiar dirt into a sucking bog of mud.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Detritus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detritus. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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