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
Text chains buzzed into the early-morning hours as arm-chair experts on Tehran speculated what the political detritus would be stateside.
—
Philip Elliott, Time, 23 June 2025
Farmers, after a night of picking, find their fields strewn with detritus: adult diapers, cigarette butts, snack bags, sawdust (essential for drying one’s fingers between bouts with slimy worms), and, in at least one instance, a condom.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
Crayfish hide in short burrows in the riverbank, under larger rocks or wood, or in detritus that is present in all the parts of the creek.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 16 June 2025
Trash cans spill over with detritus that the coyotes relish.
—Heather Knight, New York Times, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for detritus
Philip Elliott, Time, 23 June 2025
Farmers, after a night of picking, find their fields strewn with detritus: adult diapers, cigarette butts, snack bags, sawdust (essential for drying one’s fingers between bouts with slimy worms), and, in at least one instance, a condom.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
Crayfish hide in short burrows in the riverbank, under larger rocks or wood, or in detritus that is present in all the parts of the creek.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 16 June 2025
Trash cans spill over with detritus that the coyotes relish.
—Heather Knight, New York Times, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for detritus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detritus
Noun
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The weather service says flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter.—
David Ferrara,
The Enquirer,
21 July 2025
-
The debris collides with Earth's atmosphere at high speed and disintegrates, creating fiery and colorful streaks in the sky.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
21 July 2025
Noun
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The real heroes are the medics treating the wounded under rubble, the journalists livestreaming amidst bomb blasts, and the people who keep marching for their right to exist.—
Faisal Kutty,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 July 2025
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The semi-persistent changes in scenery also do a good job of highlighting the Switch 2's hardware, which doesn't seem to drop a single frame, even as the rubble flies and the ground's shape morphs under Donkey Kong's persistent punching.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
16 July 2025
Noun
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Despite shifting networks and stunt-casting judges, the genre lies in the wreckage of itself.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
17 July 2025
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The memorial service will provide that opportunity for the swimmers to celebrate their journey and remember the 29 men who died in the wreckage.—
Emma George-Griffin,
Freep.com,
15 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Detritus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detritus. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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