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
In Literature and Painting Playset, 2025, a Cartman-like figure wearing a beret splashes daubs of paint on the screen while a female figure in pilgrim dress delivers a long, disjointed monologue patched together by Kokopeli from Quora posts, art history texts, and other online detritus.
—
Theo Belci, Artforum, 2 June 2026
The great piles of detritus in the street had completely vanished.
—Amer Matar, The Dial, 26 May 2026
Because bananas are made of organic materials, let microorganisms and detritus eaters (like red wiggler composting worms) do their job.
—Haniya Rae, Martha Stewart, 5 May 2026
Huge, black ants carry detritus into golf course-sized holes, and Delta tule peas and fire poppies splash the hills like purple-orange paint.
—John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for detritus
Theo Belci, Artforum, 2 June 2026
The great piles of detritus in the street had completely vanished.
—Amer Matar, The Dial, 26 May 2026
Because bananas are made of organic materials, let microorganisms and detritus eaters (like red wiggler composting worms) do their job.
—Haniya Rae, Martha Stewart, 5 May 2026
Huge, black ants carry detritus into golf course-sized holes, and Delta tule peas and fire poppies splash the hills like purple-orange paint.
—John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for detritus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detritus
Noun
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Additional footage appeared to show debris floating in the aftermath of the strike.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
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And an apartment building and a fitness center in the capital were also damaged by falling debris, TASS reported.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
18 June 2026
Noun
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At the site, an Associated Press reporter saw rubble and chunks of concrete stained with blood.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
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At the site, an Associated Press reporter saw rubble and chunks of concrete stained with blood.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Chicago Tribune,
20 June 2026
Noun
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Videos from the scene showed bystanders running toward the burning wreckage, attempting to break a window to the cockpit and open the plane's door to free passengers as first responders arrived.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
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Tortured by the loss of his son and the wreckage of his life, David has refused visitors since the beginning of his sentence.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
18 June 2026
Noun
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Mussolini had a villa built, reduced like almost everything else to a pile of ruins.—
Marzio G. Mian,
Vanity Fair,
16 June 2026
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But the sacred institution, founded in 1813, is now in ruins.—
Ryan Hughes,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Detritus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detritus. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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