remains

British  

/ rɪˈmeɪnz /

plural noun

1. any pieces, scraps, fragments, etc, that are left unused or still extant, as after use, consumption, the passage of time, etc

   the remains of a meal

   archaeological remains

2. the body of a dead person; corpse

3. Also called: literary remains.  the unpublished writings of an author at the time of his or her death

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Explanation

The word remains can mean a dead body, so a detective might investigate to find out if some bones found in a lake are human or non-human remains. You can also use remains to mean the part of something that's left behind after the rest has been used or thrown away. So the remains of your birthday cake might just be some crumbs and melted candles, and the remains of a building after an earthquake could consist of a crumbling foundation. In a murder mystery, though, remains are likely to be human bodies.

Example Sentences

Experiences like these can shape who remains in a field.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

California Attorney General Rob Bonta's office said this week the acquisition "remains an active investigation."

From Barron's • Jun. 12, 2026

“AI compute remains so severely supply-constrained that SpaceX’s terrestrial data center business may be generating better returns than everything the company has spent the last 26 years building,” he added.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 12, 2026

No matter how you slice the statute, Sutton wrote, the fact remains that “the FTC is free to micromanage every particularized decision the Authority makes.”

From Slate • Jun. 12, 2026

It remains unclear how many people will suffer long-term effects from radiation exposure as a result of the Fukushima meltdowns.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland

Related Words

• debris
• remnant