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
Beyond the gate there’s a floating coagulation of detritus.
¶ Sebastopol
The occasional aberration forms in the air.
—
Ariel Saramandi, The Dial, 29 July 2025
Should nature call, there are shovel-ready handlers to remove the detritus.
—Kathy Berdan, Twin Cities, 27 July 2025
Republic Services resumed limited trash pickup services to a broad swath of Contra Costa County, as well as other pockets of the Bay Area, after a crippling strike threatened to leave trash and other detritus piling up outside houses and businesses across the region.
—Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 16 July 2025
Throwing that detritus away is the third-most expensive component of sweeping.
—Sacbee.com, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for detritus
Ariel Saramandi, The Dial, 29 July 2025
Should nature call, there are shovel-ready handlers to remove the detritus.
—Kathy Berdan, Twin Cities, 27 July 2025
Republic Services resumed limited trash pickup services to a broad swath of Contra Costa County, as well as other pockets of the Bay Area, after a crippling strike threatened to leave trash and other detritus piling up outside houses and businesses across the region.
—Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 16 July 2025
Throwing that detritus away is the third-most expensive component of sweeping.
—Sacbee.com, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for detritus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detritus
Noun
-
Police and military personnel inspect a property damaged by debris from a Russian drone shot down in eastern Poland earlier this month.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
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The control panel even displays different lights (blue, pink, and red) to indicate the debris levels on the floor.—
Lily Gray,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Every window was blown out, and rubble littered the ground.—
Ken Harbaugh,
The Atlantic,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Images from the incident show firefighters on the scene searching through the rubble of the building following the explosion.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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What To Know Warsaw said that Russian drones violated Polish airspace 19 times on the night of September 9 and 10, with data showing the wreckage of Russian drones across the country.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Footage of the aftermath of the collision posted on social media shows a large fire and pillars of dark smoke emanating from the wreckage.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
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With its quiet chapels, ancient ruins, vineyards, and the island’s restaurant La Tonnelle, Saint-Honorat is a place where visitors are welcome, but peace is preserved.—
Jeryl Brunner,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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That includes stepping back in time to see ruins in Greece, Italy, and Egypt, as well as wildlife and nature-based trips, such as the Galapagos Islands.—
Anna Halkidis,
Parents,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Detritus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detritus. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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