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

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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

Always dispose of infected plant debris, but consider leaving some non-diseased leaves for bees and butterflies.

— Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 6 Nov. 2026
For example, a floor-only cleaning session may be appropriate for routine debris removal, while full-coverage cleaning can be selected when walls, slopes and the waterline also require attention.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of debris

Noun

Ivan Fedorov, co-chair of the regional defense council, said 12 bodies pulled from the rubble had been identified so far.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Nov. 2026
The latest Russian aerial barrage underscored the scale of the rebuilding task, as did the ongoing search for people missing beneath rubble after a deadly airstrike in southern Ukraine on Monday.

— Derek Gatopoulos, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of rubble

Noun

On Tuesday, Baptist pastor Vladyslav Makhovskyi had joined the search for survivors in the wreckage of the school and underground shelter where villagers from Komyshuvakha had sought safety.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 Nov. 2026
As Paladin drives off, contract finally fulfilled, an estate guard with a rocket launcher blows his murder-van into flaming wreckage.

— Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of wreckage

Noun

Pre-Columbian ruins are always near, reachable by boat, trek, and car, on excursions organized by the hotel.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Nov. 2026
But as the day wore on, bodies wrapped in white plastic sheets were carried from the ruins and laid in rows as smoke drifted across the shattered landscape.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of ruins

Browse Nearby Words

flotillas

flotsam

flounce

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“Flotsam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flotsam. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of flotsam

noun

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