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
-
Meanwhile, about a kilometre away, workers began clearing debris from the old site of the primary-care center, making room for a permanent replacement.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
-
Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Ayman al-Zain watched on a recent afternoon as a bulldozer cleared the rubble of what used to be his sports clothing store, which was one of dozens of buildings destroyed in Israeli strikes against the Hezbollah militant group.—
Malak Harb,
Fortune,
15 May 2026
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City officials said 24 bodies had been recovered from the rubble and about 30 people had been rescued alive.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Rescuers work at the wreckage of an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft east of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on March 10, 2019.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
-
The indictment also charges Synergy with violations of the Clean Water Act and other environmental laws due to river pollution from debris from the wreckage of both the ship and the bridge.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
The ruins of the theater have long since been carted away.—
James Verini,
The Atlantic,
12 May 2026
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The team had been checking for ruins around the Bauhaus retail center before further commercial development proceeded in the area, continuing work started in 2011 with the discovery of an early Christian church there.—
Anne Doran,
ARTnews.com,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flotsam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flotsam. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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