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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of detritus
And while space debris and meteoroids of comparable mass burn up in our atmosphere almost every day, this piece of manufactured orbital detritus is unique.
—
Eric MacK, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025
But if there isn’t enough kelp detritus to go around, urchins can start feeding on the living kelp itself.
—Byrd Pinkerton, Vox, 1 Apr. 2025
At others, the idle pump jacks stood silent — corroded skeletons at the end of the line, the detritus of another run through the playbook.
—Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 30 Dec. 2024
Is Trump a secret minimalist, driven to limit the detritus accruing in American houses?
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for detritus
Eric MacK, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025
But if there isn’t enough kelp detritus to go around, urchins can start feeding on the living kelp itself.
—Byrd Pinkerton, Vox, 1 Apr. 2025
At others, the idle pump jacks stood silent — corroded skeletons at the end of the line, the detritus of another run through the playbook.
—Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 30 Dec. 2024
Is Trump a secret minimalist, driven to limit the detritus accruing in American houses?
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for detritus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detritus
Noun
-
The planet-wide dust storms are so fierce that the debris often does not settle for months at a time.—
Alex Morris,
Rolling Stone,
15 June 2025
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
14 June 2025
Noun
-
On Wednesday, emergency workers pulled more bodies from the rubble of a nine-story Kyiv apartment building demolished by a Russian attack earlier this week, raising the death toll from the strike on the capital to 28.—
James Jordan,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2025
-
Israeli flags stand amid rubble and destruction in a residential area of Rishon LeZion, Israel on June 14, 2025.—
Dan Perry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 June 2025
Noun
-
Sole apparent survivor of Air India crash walks away from wreckage If a plane's tail section sheers off, a seat closer to the front will typically be safer.—
USA TODAY STAFF,
USA Today,
14 June 2025
-
According to Braithwaite, this relative position in relation to the wreckage may have been a key factor.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Detritus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detritus. Accessed 23 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share