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
It was designed to be incorporated into a three-dimensional exhibit where the canvas would blend into a foreground of clay, grass shrubbery, and the detritus of battle – all of it creating a you-were-there sense of reality.
—
Richard Selcer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Dec. 2025
The 2018 self-emptying Roomba i7+ vacuum was even able to tidy dust and detritus from specific rooms using mapping technology.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 22 Dec. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for detritus
Richard Selcer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Dec. 2025
The 2018 self-emptying Roomba i7+ vacuum was even able to tidy dust and detritus from specific rooms using mapping technology.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 22 Dec. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for detritus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detritus
Noun
-
The helicopter crashed about 50 feet from a BNSF Railway line and spread debris across the tracks, according to the railway.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The drone completely destroyed the house in the city of Bohodukhiv, trapping the family under the rubble.—
Mariia Kashchenko,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The strike completely destroyed the brick house and set it on fire, trapping the family under the rubble, according to the Kharkiv regional prosecutor’s office.—
Illia Novikov,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Since well before Larry David came along, celebrities have been breaking their own life’s fourth wall and finding comedy among the wreckage.—
Megan Garber,
The Atlantic,
12 Feb. 2026
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The Pentagon declined to provide further detail, including about the possible wreckage of the drone.—
Leslie Josephs,
CNBC,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The place was used for wild beast hunts, public executions, and gladiator fights for several hundred years, then became a condo of sorts as medieval Romans made their homes in the hulking ruins.—
Katie Parla,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 Feb. 2026
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While family members viewed the ruins stored at Veterans Park, construction crews were working on the site directly across the street.—
Sofia Saric,
Miami Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Detritus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detritus. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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