vestiges

noun

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

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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

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 vestiges of his fading memory flash by with a haunting plainness, the melancholy of all this Americana and the sadness of a mind ravaged by time strike the viewer plainly at the end of this maximalist piece of life-writing. — Stephanie Wambugu, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026 Then the pandemic hit, and an outdoor pint became one of the last vestiges of social life. — Vanda Mayer, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2026 The only vestiges of social order are a vigilante police force and the power company. — Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026 The Venetians came and colonized 500 years ago, and many vestiges of our Venetian past are still visible, not just in the architecture and in our food. — Shannon McMahon, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Sep. 2026 All that can be seen of the building now is the vestiges of its foundations. — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026 These beautiful, intrepid, witty and irrepressible young women and men are living witnesses to the destruction of the last vestiges of the dream of freedom of expression in Russia. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026 As with many vestiges of the past, this myth is both a blessing and a curse. — Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026 Rafael Devers and Jung Hoo Lee were the only vestiges from the group that started behind Webb on opening day. — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vestiges
  1. relics
  2. footsteps
  3. traces
  4. footprints
  5. remnants
Noun
  • Among the relics of its decline is a hulking complex of rusted pipes, towers and conveyor belts in Delano, just five miles north of the McFarland chipping yard.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The landscape flowed in ridges and mountains of faded yellow and whisper pink, where welwitschia–large, low-lying plants that live to be hundreds of years old–sprawled like relics from a Dune film set.
    — Samantha Falewée, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of relics
Noun
  • George, second in line to the British throne, began attending Eton last September, following in his father Prince William’s footsteps.
    — Ilaria Perrotta, Vanity Fair, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Maria was also, evidently, happy to advise those who wanted to follow in her footsteps.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of footsteps
Noun
  • Future geologists will see, everywhere, evidence of our Earth-System agency—the physical traces of a planet dominated by one species.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Either way, scientists anticipate finding traces of Mars on Phobos, making the samples an irresistible two-for-one that should help demystify planetary and moon formation.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of traces
Noun
  • Restaurant chains and business model Yum’s three restaurant chains have distinct menus and geographic footprints.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Inside was a tumble of papers, some moldy, some with partial footprints, leaves and twigs interspersed among the pages.
    — Anja Aronowsky Cronberg, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of footprints
Noun
  • The coastal flooding in the next few days is expected to be different from earlier rounds, which were heavily influenced by powerful swells from the remnants of hurricanes Marie and Rachel.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Coastal communities in Southern California began to experience dangerous conditions over Labor Day weekend with the remnants of Hurricane Marie.
    — Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of remnants

Browse Nearby Words

vestige
vestiges
vesting
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Cite this Entry

“Vestiges.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vestiges. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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