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
The new picture also captures shadowy fractures and pits that hint at large volumes of water ice still buried beneath the surface, as well as numerous impact craters surrounded by the detritus of their own explosive formation.
—
Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 17 Apr. 2026
Across the jagged volcanic landscape of spontaneous eruptions and tumbling detritus, a space of relative calm will invariably open up.
—Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 13 Apr. 2026
Along with other conflicts, terrorist attacks, and the detritus of previous wars, bomb detection and disposal units are gaining far too much experience in dealing with such threats to life and limb as well as learning from the painful examples of others.
—David Szondy
april 11, New Atlas, 11 Apr. 2026
Energy analysts sifting through the supply-chain detritus left by the US-Israel war with Iran have concluded that China will come out on top.
—Jonathan Tirone, Bloomberg, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for detritus
Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 17 Apr. 2026
Across the jagged volcanic landscape of spontaneous eruptions and tumbling detritus, a space of relative calm will invariably open up.
—Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 13 Apr. 2026
Along with other conflicts, terrorist attacks, and the detritus of previous wars, bomb detection and disposal units are gaining far too much experience in dealing with such threats to life and limb as well as learning from the painful examples of others.
—David Szondy
april 11, New Atlas, 11 Apr. 2026
Energy analysts sifting through the supply-chain detritus left by the US-Israel war with Iran have concluded that China will come out on top.
—Jonathan Tirone, Bloomberg, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for detritus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detritus
Noun
-
Meanwhile, about a kilometre away, workers began clearing debris from the old site of the primary-care center, making room for a permanent replacement.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
-
Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Ayman al-Zain watched on a recent afternoon as a bulldozer cleared the rubble of what used to be his sports clothing store, which was one of dozens of buildings destroyed in Israeli strikes against the Hezbollah militant group.—
Malak Harb,
Fortune,
15 May 2026
-
City officials said 24 bodies had been recovered from the rubble and about 30 people had been rescued alive.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Rescuers work at the wreckage of an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft east of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on March 10, 2019.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
-
The indictment also charges Synergy with violations of the Clean Water Act and other environmental laws due to river pollution from debris from the wreckage of both the ship and the bridge.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Float through spectacular canyons, check out petroglyphs and Native American ruins, conquer rapids, and spend your nights unwinding while gazing up at the Milky Way.—
Matt Bell,
AFAR Media,
19 May 2026
-
Danluck traveled to that cathedral, set up lights in the ruins, and built a scene around him — not to recreate the battle, but to recreate the feeling.—
Afdhel Aziz,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Detritus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detritus. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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