1
as in arresting
to take or keep (someone) in confinement by authority of law
Police detained the suspect.
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2
as in delaying
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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Dissimilar Words
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Recent Examples of detaining
Authorities ultimately secured Leon by detaining him in a chair at the scene, according to the footage.
—
Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
The judge’s order, which barred federal agents from forcefully confronting or detaining lawful observers, has been temporarily paused by an appeals court.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 29 Jan. 2026
That feeling of security became even more important recently, one shopper said, when federal immigration agents began regularly detaining workers outside Home Depot locations in Southern California.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Those deaths came amid Operation Metro Surge, which has seen thousands of federal agents arrive in Minneapolis, where they've been tasked in part with detaining undocumented immigrants.
—Rachel Scott, ABC News, 28 Jan. 2026
There, videos and news reports have shown ICE agents pulling people from their vehicles and detaining children during enforcement actions.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2026
Two weeks ago, a CBS News poll found 61% of Americans feel ICE is being too tough when stopping and detaining people, a five-point increase from November.
—Jennifer Jacobs, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Masked federal agents are detaining citizens without cause and raiding Americans’ homes without a judge’s warrant.
—Lautaro Grinspan, AJC.com, 27 Jan. 2026
There's been also reports of federal agents entering homes without judicial warrants and instances of them detaining US citizens for hours at a time.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
The judge’s order, which barred federal agents from forcefully confronting or detaining lawful observers, has been temporarily paused by an appeals court.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 29 Jan. 2026
That feeling of security became even more important recently, one shopper said, when federal immigration agents began regularly detaining workers outside Home Depot locations in Southern California.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Those deaths came amid Operation Metro Surge, which has seen thousands of federal agents arrive in Minneapolis, where they've been tasked in part with detaining undocumented immigrants.
—Rachel Scott, ABC News, 28 Jan. 2026
There, videos and news reports have shown ICE agents pulling people from their vehicles and detaining children during enforcement actions.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2026
Two weeks ago, a CBS News poll found 61% of Americans feel ICE is being too tough when stopping and detaining people, a five-point increase from November.
—Jennifer Jacobs, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Masked federal agents are detaining citizens without cause and raiding Americans’ homes without a judge’s warrant.
—Lautaro Grinspan, AJC.com, 27 Jan. 2026
There's been also reports of federal agents entering homes without judicial warrants and instances of them detaining US citizens for hours at a time.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detaining
Verb
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Krasner noted immigration agents have been keeping tabs on courthouse proceedings, targeting and arresting people usually just outside the buildings.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
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That was the campaign promise, but the reality this past year has been far different with the obvious and well-documented fact that ICE has been trawling around arresting people based on looks or accents or location.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Persons should consider delaying all travel.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Jan. 2026
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These conditions can make driving challenging, so exercise extreme caution on the road, and if possible, consider delaying your trip.—
Southern California Weather Report,
Oc Register,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Protesters in Minneapolis have since flooded the streets in the thousands, and ICE agents have responded by apprehending some, shoving others to the ground, and spraying chemical irritants in their faces.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
10 Jan. 2026
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While our immigration enforcement should be focused on apprehending and prosecuting violent criminals to make our communities safer, these ICE actions are doing the opposite and making our state less safe.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But seizing current oil production is one thing; overhauling Venezuela's entire oil industry would be another.—
Camila Domonoske,
NPR,
7 Jan. 2026
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Trump has occasionally discussed seizing Greenland since his first term but few initially took his threats seriously.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Detaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detaining. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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