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
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Recent Examples of flotsam
Jupiter’s location in the path of the Gulf Stream means there’s a constant flow of tropical water that improves the ocean’s clarity and visibility by carrying out any algae, flotsam, or runoff that accumulates.
—
Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 24 Jan. 2025
These and a flotilla of Biden policy flotsam will persist into the Trump administration if Congress passes yet another CR.
—Gord Magill, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
The strain of slop on Medium tends toward the banal, especially compared with the dadaist flotsam clogging Facebook.
—Kate Knibbs, WIRED, 28 Oct. 2024
Federal officials and experts are warning that the winds and floodwaters from Helene that wrecked the Southeast carry unscrupulous fraudsters amid the flotsam.
—Michael Loria, USA TODAY, 2 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for flotsam
Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 24 Jan. 2025
These and a flotilla of Biden policy flotsam will persist into the Trump administration if Congress passes yet another CR.
—Gord Magill, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
The strain of slop on Medium tends toward the banal, especially compared with the dadaist flotsam clogging Facebook.
—Kate Knibbs, WIRED, 28 Oct. 2024
Federal officials and experts are warning that the winds and floodwaters from Helene that wrecked the Southeast carry unscrupulous fraudsters amid the flotsam.
—Michael Loria, USA TODAY, 2 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for flotsam
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flotsam
Noun
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Inspectors found old food debris accumulated on the back of the meat slicer.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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Winds can be powerful enough to jostle cars, topple power lines and litter debris on the ground.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
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At least two of the dead were construction workers who were killed by falling rubble or debris, rescue worker Songwut Wangpon told reporters.—
David Rising,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Mar. 2025
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So far, federal cleanup crews have cleared ash and rubble from more than 860 properties, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.—
Tony Briscoe,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Due to the marshy terrain, much of the plane was underwater, and officials had to make their way to the wreckage by airboat.—
Latoya Gayle,
People.com,
5 Apr. 2025
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The book revealed the emotional wreckage that lay just beneath the seductive, glittering surface of a certain sector of France’s progressive cultural élite.—
Leslie Camhi,
New Yorker,
4 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flotsam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flotsam. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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