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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The building, a five-story apartment complex located in the southern Italian city of Bari, collapsed on Wednesday, March 5 — trapping a woman, 74, beneath the debris, Wanted in Rome — an English magazine for expats in Italy — reports, citing Italian outlet ANSA.—
Rachel Raposas,
People.com,
11 Mar. 2025
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Musk brushed off the rocket mishaps, replying to a photo of himself looking at debris from one of SpaceX’s multiple early rocket failures.—
Hadas Gold,
CNN,
11 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Command centers and weapons storage facilities, once the backbone of its operational capabilities, have been reduced to rubble.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
Newsweek,
26 Feb. 2025
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Layla didn’t want friends or neighbors to send her pictures of the rubble.—
Bill Dwyre,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Emergency crews responded to the scene, and the roadway remains closed as authorities investigate and clear the wreckage.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
11 Mar. 2025
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Video of the scene showed the wreckage of the single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza plane engulfed in flames and dark smoke.—
Tricia Escobedo,
CNN,
10 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flotsam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flotsam. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.
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