Thesaurus results for FLOTSAM

flotsam

noun

ˈflät-səm

Definition of flotsam

as in debris

the portion or bits of something left over or behind after it has been destroyed the dispirited family picked through the flotsam of their possessions after the hurricane, looking for anything that could be salvaged

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 flotsam Here in the famous Festival Theatre, the sprite Ariel, played in splendidly sprightly fashion by Marissa Orjalo, opens up the top of a piano, a piece of island flotsam and Prospero, in the form of the veteran actor Geraint Wyn Davies, shoves his coat inside, throws up his hands and closes the lid. — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2026 The writer thinks that the person seducing the main character is just some flotsam, hardly worth a second look. — Literary Hub, 26 June 2026 Crews remain onsite 24/7, monitoring the dam's condition and clearing flotsam from its gates. — CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026 There’s a lot of trivia and bits and bobs of flotsam that get in there. — Nick Hilden, Rolling Stone, 24 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for flotsam

Recent Examples of Synonyms for flotsam

Noun

Chinese surveillance footage from the Tibetan side of the border shows a huge wall of mud and debris crashing over buildings and engulfing roads as people desperately try to flee the torrent.

— Diaa Hadid, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026
An ice and rock avalanche from a high-altitude glacier may have triggered the flooding, with a large volume of debris entering the Lende Khola tributary, researchers have said in a preliminary assessment.

— Josh Feldman, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of debris

Noun

Rescuers have been combing through rubble from Friday’s attack on Kryvyi Rih, Zelensky’s hometown, which has been targeted multiple times during the four-year-war.

— Kosta Gak, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Emergency crews were at the scene and pulled people out from under the rubble.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of rubble

Noun

Painstaking analysis of 319 tons of wreckage and thousands of pieces of evidence from a crime scene covering 845 square miles, along with thousands of interviews in 16 countries, eventually led investigators to two Libyan intelligence operatives.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 27 Aug. 2026
Software, which took a beating earlier this year, has more recently staged a comeback as traders reevaluated their business outlooks, and combed through the wreckage for survivors.

— Sarah Min, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of wreckage

Noun

The mountains, castles, and ruins of Ashina enable a unique traversal system.

— Aman Kumar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Aug. 2026
The tornado struck Pomas, a village of about 1,000 people, on Monday and rescue teams were continuing their search through ruins on Tuesday, though no people were immediately reported missing.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of ruins

Browse Nearby Words

flotillas

flotsam

flounce

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Flotsam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flotsam. Accessed 31 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of flotsam

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

gumption

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes