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
There’s a particular poignance to Manousos giving this speech — an honest-to-goodness monologue by his standards — at the Darién Gap, amid the detritus of migrants who have shed their belongings to take this path from South to Central America.
—
Scott Tobias, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
Such time-collapsing epiphanies come easily because Orkney is strewn with detritus from every stage of human history.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
This little shell is the perfect place to stash life’s detritus (earbuds, jewelry, car keys) or it can be used as an ashtray, if so inclined.
—Melissa Locker, Time, 17 Nov. 2025
Yes, if the speculative detritus comes to a quick end.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 16 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detritus
Scott Tobias, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
Such time-collapsing epiphanies come easily because Orkney is strewn with detritus from every stage of human history.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
This little shell is the perfect place to stash life’s detritus (earbuds, jewelry, car keys) or it can be used as an ashtray, if so inclined.
—Melissa Locker, Time, 17 Nov. 2025
Yes, if the speculative detritus comes to a quick end.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 16 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detritus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detritus
Noun
-
Weekend Home Deals Keep your home clean and tidy with fabric storage bags, drawer organizers, and a Shark steam mop that effortlessly removes grime, sticky messes, and more debris from hard floors.—
Isabel Garcia,
PEOPLE,
16 Jan. 2026
-
None Created from debris streams left behind by Comet Thatcher (which last circled the sun in 1861), the Lyrid meteor shower averages between 10 to 20 fireballs per hour.—
Michael d'Estries,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In the first image rubble from the fire is visible and the land is a charred brown.—
Terry Castleman,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Jan. 2026
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First responders carried many of the injured, who were trapped under rubble, out on stretchers, and detection dogs were used to ensure that rescuers located everyone trapped in the debris, per the BBC.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Slowly and painfully, state leaders learned to recognize that — cheered on by their constituents, who don’t want to live in communities blighted by sprawl and surrounded by environmental wreckage.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Jan. 2026
-
An emergency response member rushes over to the wreckage and attempts to put the fire out with an extinguisher.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Caruso said the ruins should be torn down.—
Roger Vincent,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
-
In the ruins of the kitchen sat two cast-iron Le Creuset stew pots — the only survivors.—
Jonathan Taplin,
Rolling Stone,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Detritus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detritus. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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