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

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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

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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 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
  • Other public recognitions and relics of Kahanamoku’s story exist around Orange County.
    Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 3 June 2026
  • Once considered delightfully kitschy relics of suburban Americana, porch geese are waddling their way back into the spotlight.
    Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 29 May 2026
Noun
  • Justman, following in the footsteps of her older sisters Ava, Emily and Sophia, was a team captain this season.
    Ethan Hanson, Daily News, 30 May 2026
  • Pioneers, of course, also famously lay the groundwork for more people to follow in their footsteps.
    Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 29 May 2026
Noun
  • The group of items appears to have been deposited as part of a burial and includes a copper mirror, alabaster vessels that still contain traces of their original contents, and a vessel carved from black obsidian.
    Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 1 June 2026
  • Valles Marineris is an enormous rift valley system on Mars that scientists want to scour for traces of liquid water, which may exist in sheltered niches and serve as an habitat for possible life.
    Leonard David, Space.com, 31 May 2026
Noun
  • Other teams of astronomers have looked for clues about the movements of giant planets in the orbits of asteroids and other small objects, studying them like footprints to reconstruct how they might have been pushed or pulled into their current orbits by the gravity of giant planets on the move.
    Kiona N. Smith, Space.com, 29 May 2026
  • Archer and Joby are establishing significant footprints already with bets in the Middle East, where regulators and governments have readily embraced the new tech.
    Samantha Subin, CNBC, 29 May 2026
Noun
  • Archaeological remnants of his reign—the Arch of Galerius and the Rotunda—flaunt the city’s antiquity.
    Magda Teter, The New York Review of Books, 6 June 2026
  • Visitors can see the remnants in the pathways for the playground spaces.
    A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Vestiges.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vestiges. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.

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