vestiges

plural of vestige
1
as in relics
a tiny often physical indication of something lost or vanished a few strange words carved on a tree were the only vestige of the lost colony of Roanoke

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in footsteps
the mark or impression made by a foot the fossilized vestige of a dinosaur that traversed that muddy landscape millions of years ago

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 vestiges The wall drawings also contain erasure marks, vestiges of the artist’s false starts and corrections. Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 2 June 2026 In a follow-up exam conducted six years after the infection, vestiges of the virus’s RNA were found in the man’s semen. Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 15 May 2026 Continue your exploration of ancient Mexican vestiges by visiting Tulum. Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Apr. 2026 As in that case, many of Silver Court’s residents are about to lose one of the few vestiges of stable, deeply affordable housing in Miami-Dade. Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026 Upon first glance, the room looks like a typical parlor of its era, clinging to the vestiges of late Victorian décor that were quickly fading from fashion. Laura E. Helton, Literary Hub, 20 Apr. 2026 Though the war ended in the 1990s, vestiges remained of the racial and ethnic conflict. Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2026 Now, plans are finally underway to remove the rotting vestiges of the structure. Kathleen Hill, The Providence Journal, 28 Mar. 2026 In 2022, the economy was still rebounding strongly from COVID, with the vestiges of a big fiscal stimulus at its back. John Cassidy, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vestiges
Noun
  • Over centuries, relics of saints have been buried in the caves, according to UNESCO.
    Victoria Butenko, CNN Money, 15 June 2026
  • Books, movies, and museums have become increasingly interactive, but there's still nothing quite like standing in the very places where fossils and relics were discovered, or watching history reenacted.
    Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 12 June 2026
Noun
  • Honeywell is following in the footsteps of 3M, Danaher, GE, and United Technologies — companies that once preached the virtues of a diversified portfolio but have concluded that value now comes from focus.
    Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 12 June 2026
  • Harper Beckham, 14, is following in her mom's fashion footsteps.
    Staff Author, InStyle, 12 June 2026
Noun
  • But the papers didn’t contain any traces of drugs at all and the field tests the correction department uses are notoriously inaccurate, returning a false positive roughly four out of five times, according to the lawsuit, which cites a November 2024 city Department of Investigation report.
    John Annese, New York Daily News, 11 June 2026
  • While the mineral disappeared as the lunar surface eventually solidified and cooled, researchers pinpointed lingering traces of its existence in NWA 12593.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 10 June 2026
Noun
  • Community and online banks, which often operate with smaller physical footprints, may choose to offer more competitive savings yields to attract deposits.
    Wes Moss, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
  • Bucks County detectives analyzed the account data and digital footprints, tracking the email and IP address directly to Tiffany's residence and personal devices, the DA's office said.
    Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 10 June 2026
Noun
  • As the Khairas were moving into their new brick colonial, which already felt steeped in another era, workers began dismantling the old backyard carousel and other remnants of a private fairy-tale landscape.
    David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 13 June 2026
  • This photo provided by Kylie Rouse shows the remnants of Shane and Jimmie Tipton's home in Unionville, Missouri, on June 10, 2026, after a tornado struck.
    CBS News, CBS News, 12 June 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Vestiges.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vestiges. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on vestiges

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster