artifacts

noun

plural of artifact
1
as in fossils
an object made by humans and surviving from an earlier time period The site was full of Stone Age artifacts such as flint tools.

Related Words

Relevance
2
as in mementos
a lingering indication of something from the past The spelling of "trough" is an artifact of the way it was originally pronounced.

Related Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of artifacts This new era signifies the Levine’s transition from a non-collecting to a collecting institution, bringing in artifacts including photographs and personal letters. — Claire Harutunian, Charlotte Observer, 30 July 2026 The installation, a partnership between Bedrock and the Detroit Historical Society that runs through 2026, paints a picture of the building’s storied history with artifacts from the restoration, period newspaper clippings, maps, and photos. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 July 2026 The sheriff's office said the institution declined to press charges, and the artifacts were returned to the fort. — CBS News, 30 July 2026 With artifacts like the bullets, archaeologists now have a better understanding of where the nearly two-century-long struggle finally ended—and who took responsibility for the conquest. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 30 July 2026 Kathy Balkman, chapter chair of the America 250 Committee, and Teresa Staples worked with state Capitol curators Jen Hughes and Michael Higgs to plan the exhibit and collect various items and artifacts. — Eric E. Harrison, Arkansas Online, 29 July 2026 When an employee leaves a company, existing legal protections (such as IP clauses in employment contracts) prevent them from taking physical artifacts such as code and design documents to their new employers. — Nisha Talagala, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 But Crown’s true motives are to return precious stolen or sold artifacts to their rightful creators. — Mya Copeland, Variety, 29 July 2026 The artifacts displayed at the repatriation ceremony include several stone axe heads. — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 23 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for artifacts
  1. fossils
  2. mementos
  3. relics
  4. reminders
  5. echoes
  6. remembrances
  7. remnants
  8. corpses
Noun
  • Dinosaurs roamed the Earth for about 180 million years, but only a few thousand near-complete fossils have been discovered.
    — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
  • Lambert, who grew up searching for fossils in England, told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) that a squirrel happened to draw his attention toward the rock near a riverbank.
    — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 25 July 2026
Definition of fossils
Noun
  • While the top shelves house Hilderbrand’s own novels (and multiple copies of Hilderbrand’s favorite of her books, 28 Summers), the shelves also hold many of her other favorite books and mementos.
    — Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Available in pastel pink, neutral beige and classic black colorways, the Speedcat Etoile debuts with a new campaign featuring the Blackpink member in a scene surrounded by youthful nostalgia and personal mementos that shaped her childhood.
    — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 28 July 2026
Definition of mementos
Noun
  • The recent release of 2026 Topps Chrome Baseball features Back-to-Back Gold Logoman patch autographed one-of-a-kind cards of Ohtani and Judge, taking those relics from jerseys worn in each of their 2024 and 2025 MVP seasons.
    — Larry Holder, New York Times, 27 July 2026
  • Without a mentor to guide him, Aang spends his spare time hunting for Air Nomad relics in an attempt to connect with his ancestry.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 24 July 2026
Definition of relics
Noun
  • Theirs is a loving relationship, yet reminders about his frustrating habits don’t work on this letter writer’s husband.
    — Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Ashton Lansdell is tattooed with reminders of her faith in herself.
    — Marisa Ingemi, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of reminders
Noun
  • While not immune to echoes, most people are chatting about the lineup of Czech cheeses, cured meats, and breads on offer.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
  • There’s rarely anything as straightforward as a kick drum, a hi-hat, or even a bassline here; instead, everything is smeared, all origins occulted in a thicket of echoes and reflections.
    — Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of echoes
Noun
  • Elsewhere online, more personal remembrances poured in, a mix of grief over her loss and gratitude for her gifts.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 28 July 2026
  • Surviving Black Sabbath members drummer Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler, and guitarist Tony Iommi individually shared their remembrances.
    — Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 22 July 2026
Definition of remembrances
Noun
  • Three of Neptune's moons might have been born from the remnants of ancient icy worlds shattered by Neptune's largest moon, Triton, a new study finds.
    — Charles Q. Choi, Space.com, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Found in the burn barrel were remnants of Gross' glasses, clothing, magazines, and a vial of her dog's insulin.
    — Patrick Damp, CBS News, 31 July 2026
Definition of remnants
Noun
  • The village’s daily rhythms are ordered by the passing trains—until a train arrives from Pakistan loaded with the corpses of Sikh refugees, and the community is made to cremate the dead.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026
  • Of course, corpses don’t really look like Madeline did, after she’d been made up.
    — John Semley, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026
Definition of corpses

Browse Nearby Words

artifact
artifacts
artifice
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Artifacts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/artifacts. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on artifacts

Nglish: Translation of artifacts for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All