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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flotsam
The Chicago Park District dispatched crews to clear the beaches and ran out of places to put the foul flotsam.
—
Theodore J. Karamanski, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
And the Heat’s supporting players at the moment are far better than the flotsam and jetsam that currently are with the Bucks.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2026
Through displaying the flotsam, Corinn Flaherty hopes to raise people’s awareness about marine pollution.
—David Chiu, PEOPLE, 25 Nov. 2025
Without forward Jalen Johnson healthy, the Hawks failed to emerge out of the play-in tournament flotsam this past spring.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flotsam
Theodore J. Karamanski, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
And the Heat’s supporting players at the moment are far better than the flotsam and jetsam that currently are with the Bucks.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2026
Through displaying the flotsam, Corinn Flaherty hopes to raise people’s awareness about marine pollution.
—David Chiu, PEOPLE, 25 Nov. 2025
Without forward Jalen Johnson healthy, the Hawks failed to emerge out of the play-in tournament flotsam this past spring.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flotsam
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flotsam
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
“Flotsam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flotsam. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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