as in debris
the portion or bits of something left over or behind after it has been destroyed
the expanse of tree stumps represented the detritus of a vast forest that had been mercilessly clear-cut
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of detritus
Inside, concrete cells with white open bars were large enough to accommodate four people at most — but from the detritus appeared to have been crammed with dozens.
—
Richard Engel, NBC News, 10 Dec. 2024
This immersive documentary is a bracingly intimate and hallucinatory portrait of 67-year-old Lloyd, a man with schizophrenia surviving amidst urban detritus and decay.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 18 Dec. 2024
Shards of glass crack underfoot and rubble falls from above as people sweep away the damage from their flats, lobbing detritus off balconies.
—Tamara Qiblawi, CNN, 30 Nov. 2024
Sorting through Mangione’s internet detritus to make sense of the killing was somewhat unnecessary, though people did it anyway.
—Elizabeth Lopatto, The Verge, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for detritus 
Richard Engel, NBC News, 10 Dec. 2024
This immersive documentary is a bracingly intimate and hallucinatory portrait of 67-year-old Lloyd, a man with schizophrenia surviving amidst urban detritus and decay.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 18 Dec. 2024
Shards of glass crack underfoot and rubble falls from above as people sweep away the damage from their flats, lobbing detritus off balconies.
—Tamara Qiblawi, CNN, 30 Nov. 2024
Sorting through Mangione’s internet detritus to make sense of the killing was somewhat unnecessary, though people did it anyway.
—Elizabeth Lopatto, The Verge, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for detritus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detritus
Noun
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In Southern California, intense rainfall triggered large debris flows, making several streets impassable, including Mulholland Drive in Santa Monica and several roads in the Palisades.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
15 Feb. 2025
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Rubber toe caps are an integral part of the safety features of these shoes, while ultra-durable heel collars also promise to keep your feet in place while keeping debris out.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Yet while millions of Syrians, Ukrainians, Sudanese, and Afghans were accepted by the international community and resettled, Gazans have been expected to build new lives amid the rubble.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
7 Feb. 2025
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Editors’ Picks Thousands set out on foot back to northern Gaza, picking their way through mounds of rubble and debris.—
Zolan Kanno-Youngs,
New York Times,
6 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The analysis comes about a week after the NTSB, along with the Naval Sea Systems Command Supervisor of Salvage and Diving, lifted much of the Black Hawk and other large portions of wreckage from the river.—
Pete Muntean,
CNN,
14 Feb. 2025
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The Coast Guard deployed two vessels to safeguard the Growler wreckage in the San Diego Harbor, Sappey said.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
13 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near detritus
Cite this Entry
“Detritus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detritus. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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