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
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, 19 Sep. 2025
On the bright side, flotsam from shipwrecks could bring pleasant surprises, such as unexpected treasure – a turning point in many ancient Greek stories.
—Marie-Claire Beaulieu, The Conversation, 28 July 2025
The Owl sensor is designed to detect, track and characterize objects in orbit — including satellites, debris and other space flotsam — from long distances to support SDA initiatives.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 25 July 2025
Your business isn’t a piece of flotsam driven by random forces.
—Meredith Moore, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for flotsam
Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2025
On the bright side, flotsam from shipwrecks could bring pleasant surprises, such as unexpected treasure – a turning point in many ancient Greek stories.
—Marie-Claire Beaulieu, The Conversation, 28 July 2025
The Owl sensor is designed to detect, track and characterize objects in orbit — including satellites, debris and other space flotsam — from long distances to support SDA initiatives.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 25 July 2025
Your business isn’t a piece of flotsam driven by random forces.
—Meredith Moore, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for flotsam
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flotsam
Noun
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
10 Jan. 2026
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Rescuers retrieved eight people alive and were searching for the missing still trapped after a huge mound of garbage and debris collapsed on them in the village of Binaliw in Cebu city, police said.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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An additional 684 people have been found dead in the rubble strewn across Gaza during the same period.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Jan. 2026
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Wilman González, left with a black eye from a blast, picked through rubble at home, surrounded by broken furniture.—
Regina Garcia Cano,
Fortune,
4 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The vehicle then caught fire, and Molina was pulled from the wreckage.—
Elissa Jorgensen,
Dallas Morning News,
6 Jan. 2026
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The League of Nations was the forerunner to the UN and is famous among historians for its formation after the wreckage of World War I and its almost immediate failure to prevent the rise of authoritarianism in the 1930s that gave way to World War II.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Caruso said the ruins should be torn down.—
Roger Vincent,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
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In the ruins of the kitchen sat two cast-iron Le Creuset stew pots — the only survivors.—
Jonathan Taplin,
Rolling Stone,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flotsam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flotsam. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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