Synonyms of flotsam

flotsam

noun

ˈflät-səm 

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

• debris
• rubble
• wreckage
• remains
• ruins
• detritus
• remnant
• ashes
• residue
• wreck
• jetsam
• garbage
• dust
• junk
• leavings
• litter
• chaff
• trash
• rubbish
• dross
• refuse
• scrap
• waste
• deadwood
• riffraff

Example Sentences

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

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