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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Recent Examples of flotsam
The Lyles family, meanwhile, remained scattered, rendered flotsam of the American slave system.
—
Robert Colby, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Feb. 2025
But that pick should be something the Kings can leverage, along with the second-round selections in some trade flotsam down the road.
—Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 4 Feb. 2025
Jupiter’s location in the path of the Gulf Stream means there’s a constant flow of tropical water that improves the ocean’s clarity and visibility by carrying out any algae, flotsam, or runoff that accumulates.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 24 Jan. 2025
These and a flotilla of Biden policy flotsam will persist into the Trump administration if Congress passes yet another CR.
—Gord Magill, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for flotsam
Robert Colby, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Feb. 2025
But that pick should be something the Kings can leverage, along with the second-round selections in some trade flotsam down the road.
—Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 4 Feb. 2025
Jupiter’s location in the path of the Gulf Stream means there’s a constant flow of tropical water that improves the ocean’s clarity and visibility by carrying out any algae, flotsam, or runoff that accumulates.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 24 Jan. 2025
These and a flotilla of Biden policy flotsam will persist into the Trump administration if Congress passes yet another CR.
—Gord Magill, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for flotsam
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flotsam
Noun
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The lot was activated because of the magnitude of storm debris that had to be removed from the basins.—
Dakota Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2025
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For those with patience to keep them free of debris and properly chlorinated (or, more realistically, the funds to hire someone), there’s probably just enough time to close on one of these homes before a mid-season heat wave.—
Matthew Sedacca,
Curbed,
28 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Amy Downs, a 28-year-old bank teller at the time of the attack, spent six hours in the rubble of the federal building before being rescued, and the moment marked a transformation in her life.—
Alex Gurley,
People.com,
19 Apr. 2025
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Firefighters continued to search the rubble and spray hot spots into Thursday morning.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The collapse of the communist regime had left behind unimaginable wreckage: the economy was dead, corruption was everywhere, people's spirits had been utterly crushed.—
Mohammed Soliman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Apr. 2025
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The oldest survivor of Flight 212, Mihalek was 46 at the time of the crash and helped pull co-pilot Jim Daniels away from the wreckage.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flotsam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flotsam. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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