1
as in to arrest
to take or keep (someone) in confinement by authority of law
Police detained the suspect.
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2
as in to delay
to keep (someone or something) from proceeding or progressing
She sent word that she had been unavoidably detained. The plane was detained for hours due to inclement weather.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of detain
Luckily, other passengers managed to stop him and pin him down before crew members were able to detain the man.
—
Colson Thayer, People.com, 25 July 2025
This call to action has led to a significant spike in migrants detained by ICE, according to data collected by the Deportation Data Project, which is a dataset built by journalists, researchers, lawyers, and policymakers using the Freedom of Information Act.
—Noe Padilla, IndyStar, 24 July 2025
An international arrest warrant was issued, and he was eventually detained in 2018 by Venezuelan authorities during a routine security operation in the state of Bolívar.
—Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 23 July 2025
Soliman, a former chaplain at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on July 9, about a month after the government revoked his asylum status.
—Patricia Gallagher Newberry, The Enquirer, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for detain
Colson Thayer, People.com, 25 July 2025
This call to action has led to a significant spike in migrants detained by ICE, according to data collected by the Deportation Data Project, which is a dataset built by journalists, researchers, lawyers, and policymakers using the Freedom of Information Act.
—Noe Padilla, IndyStar, 24 July 2025
An international arrest warrant was issued, and he was eventually detained in 2018 by Venezuelan authorities during a routine security operation in the state of Bolívar.
—Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 23 July 2025
Soliman, a former chaplain at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on July 9, about a month after the government revoked his asylum status.
—Patricia Gallagher Newberry, The Enquirer, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for detain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detain
Verb
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Woods was arrested just over a year ago on DUI charges in Georgia’s Gwinnett County.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
24 July 2025
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Jeremiah Taylor, 18, was arrested by the South Milwaukee Police Department on July 22.—
Chris Ramirez,
jsonline.com,
24 July 2025
Verb
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However, rocket launches can often be delayed due to poor weather or issues with the spacecraft.—
Eric Lagatta,
AZCentral.com,
25 July 2025
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To understand why, consider what businesses stand to lose by delaying automation.—
Laurent Charpentier,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
Verb
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Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have apprehended a teacher who allegedly overstayed his visa.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 July 2025
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The forums proved useful in 2019, when the public learned the sheriff’s office had cooperated with ICE to allow its agents to enter private areas in county jails and apprehend immigrants in detention.—
Chase Hunter,
Mercury News,
22 July 2025
Verb
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Leading a high-spending redistricting campaign that, if successful, helps Democrats seize the House would seemingly make Newsom a hero among the party faithful across the country.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Aug. 2025
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The agency seized another $17,000 from Dreamers Arcade, another casino tied to the case against Lopez and his co-defendants.—
Annie Martin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Detain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detain. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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