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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flotsam
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
So the Nets basically have one year and one offseason to turn this random assortment of flotsam into a credible NBA roster.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Sure, when the pace got really fast, many of these people faded into the background and became the ride’s early flotsam and jetsam.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flotsam
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
So the Nets basically have one year and one offseason to turn this random assortment of flotsam into a credible NBA roster.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Sure, when the pace got really fast, many of these people faded into the background and became the ride’s early flotsam and jetsam.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flotsam
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flotsam
Noun
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Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Mar. 2026
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How To Dethatch Your Lawn The day before dethatching, mow your lawn as usual to trim the grass and remove excess debris from the lawn, then water the lawn lightly.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In Kharkiv, in Ukraine's northeast, emergency workers were combing the rubble, looking for survivors.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Mar. 2026
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Iran’s arsenal of ballistic missiles was seriously depleted and its strategic installations left in rubble.—
Robin Wright,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
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When Sneaky Snook in his mail truck happened upon the wreckage near the boundary of Meredith Downs, sheep were scattered along the roadside and the fence, bleating, dazed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Mar. 2026
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The wreckage in the water had been flushed into the North Yuba River and stalled about a mile downstream at the mouth of Englebright Lake in mid-February after a ruptured pipe at New Colgate Powerhouse sent a deluge of water and hillside into the river.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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After Christian forces retook Arcos, the mosque was demolished, and a church was built on its ruins.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Mar. 2026
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In the early days of the Syrian uprising, Daham Alasaad was working as a tour guide in his native Palmyra, leading a group through the ruins of the ancient city.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flotsam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flotsam. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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