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

Mercury's rough surface, continually reshaped by debris hurled from impact craters, may have hidden the true extent of the loss, according to the researchers whose findings appear in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 11 Sep. 2026
This comes after a partial glacier collapse in the Himalayan mountains unleashed a sudden surge of water, mud, and debris that swept through border crossings, valley communities, and hydropower projects on August 26.

— Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of debris

Noun

From throughout five boroughs and 50 states, heroes descended on the place, now called Ground Zero, where physical wreckage and human remains commingled.

— New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026
The streets are deserted, the glow of the floodlights on the wreckage fade behind him.

— Jeff Goodell, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of wreckage

Noun

Three firefighters stand atop a pile of twisted steel and debris, raising an American flag above the ruins of the World Trade Center.

— Thomas E. Franklin, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026
Among the most notable is the Acropolis in Athens with its iconic ruins of ancient civilization preserved as columned edifices, stone statues, and temple mounts.

— Jennifer Tzeses, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of ruins

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flotillas

flotsam

flounce

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“Flotsam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flotsam. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of flotsam

noun

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