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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flotsam
Through displaying the flotsam, Corinn Flaherty hopes to raise people’s awareness about marine pollution.
—
David Chiu, PEOPLE, 25 Nov. 2025
Without forward Jalen Johnson healthy, the Hawks failed to emerge out of the play-in tournament flotsam this past spring.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
So the Nets basically have one year and one offseason to turn this random assortment of flotsam into a credible NBA roster.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Sure, when the pace got really fast, many of these people faded into the background and became the ride’s early flotsam and jetsam.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flotsam
David Chiu, PEOPLE, 25 Nov. 2025
Without forward Jalen Johnson healthy, the Hawks failed to emerge out of the play-in tournament flotsam this past spring.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
So the Nets basically have one year and one offseason to turn this random assortment of flotsam into a credible NBA roster.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Sure, when the pace got really fast, many of these people faded into the background and became the ride’s early flotsam and jetsam.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flotsam
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flotsam
Noun
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Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
2 Apr. 2026
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One social media video taken from along a highway near the barracks showed the aftermath of the strike, with pieces of fiery debris scattered along the mountain range housing the barracks.—
Kevin Collier,
NBC news,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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On Saturday morning, piles of bricks and mud were all that were left, along with blankets, cooking utensils and other personal belongings salvaged from the rubble and set into a pile.—
Elena Becatoros,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Apr. 2026
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Tangled pieces of barbed wire, reams of rubble and fallen concrete scarred the skyline in Karaj, western Iran, on Friday, after the US military bombed a major new bridge under construction.—
Leila Gharagozlou,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Iranian officials told civilians to be on the lookout for survivors and have flooded social media with images that purport to show wreckage from the aircraft.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
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The vehicle smashed through barricades and concrete, racing down a hallway before becoming lodged in the twisted wreckage.—
Gayle Pearlstein,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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During his visit, Willick had gone to the site of the attack and surveyed the ruins, which were strewn with children’s drawings and broken crayons.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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With Walker Monfort in charge, president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta and GM Josh Byrnes have been entrusted to excavate the Rockies from the ruins.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flotsam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flotsam. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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