1
as in delay
an instance or period of being prevented from going about one's business
the returning vacationers' detainment at the border only lasted a few minutes
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in detention
the state of being held in lawful custody
she'll be kept in detainment until the trial if she can't post bail
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of detainment
The massive multi-agency immigration raid on the factory saw the detainment of around 475 people, with agents focusing on a battery plant under construction adjacent to Hyundai's main electric vehicle plant, a joint project between the car manufacturer and LG Energy Solution.
—
Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Sep. 2025
Even though the state’s adult-use market kicked off two years ago, distribution has been like a minefield, with drivers facing detainment from Border Patrol officers.
—Benjamin Adams, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
The Carrillo Law Firm, which shared the claim with McClatchy News, and the Law Offices of Christian Contreras are challenging his detainment, arguing ICE and Border Patrol violated his civil rights.
—Julia Marnin, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2025
The arrest followed Knox’s detainment by Italian police for questioning — an interrogation that lasted 53 hours over five days without legal counsel or an interpreter present and led to Knox eventually signing a confession that put her at the crime scene and implicated Lumumba.
—Alyssa Davis, People.com, 27 Aug. 2025
The View additionally came under fire from political figures in recent weeks, especially after Navarro voiced opposition to people making a tourist spectacle out of the Alligator Alcatraz detainment centers in Florida.
—EW.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Videos of arrests and detainments circulated on social media.
—Jonathan J. Cooper, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2025
Others have been subject to detainment by federal immigration forces leading sting operations in and around the nation’s capital.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 21 Aug. 2025
Opinions on the use of Fort Bliss for immigrant detainment have generally fallen along party lines.
—Solcyré Burga, Time, 19 Aug. 2025
Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Sep. 2025
Even though the state’s adult-use market kicked off two years ago, distribution has been like a minefield, with drivers facing detainment from Border Patrol officers.
—Benjamin Adams, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
The Carrillo Law Firm, which shared the claim with McClatchy News, and the Law Offices of Christian Contreras are challenging his detainment, arguing ICE and Border Patrol violated his civil rights.
—Julia Marnin, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2025
The arrest followed Knox’s detainment by Italian police for questioning — an interrogation that lasted 53 hours over five days without legal counsel or an interpreter present and led to Knox eventually signing a confession that put her at the crime scene and implicated Lumumba.
—Alyssa Davis, People.com, 27 Aug. 2025
The View additionally came under fire from political figures in recent weeks, especially after Navarro voiced opposition to people making a tourist spectacle out of the Alligator Alcatraz detainment centers in Florida.
—EW.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Videos of arrests and detainments circulated on social media.
—Jonathan J. Cooper, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2025
Others have been subject to detainment by federal immigration forces leading sting operations in and around the nation’s capital.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 21 Aug. 2025
Opinions on the use of Fort Bliss for immigrant detainment have generally fallen along party lines.
—Solcyré Burga, Time, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detainment
Noun
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Outdated or missing beneficiary designations are common and can lead to delays, unintended distributions or even disputes among heirs.—
Larry Light,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
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Reuters — The United Nations Security Council did not adopt a draft resolution on Friday to permanently lift sanctions on Iran, but Tehran and key European powers still have eight days to try and agree to a delay.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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That led to additional arrests, all while ICE was opening additional immigrant detention sites in Florida, Indiana, Nebraska, Louisiana, and Tennessee.—
Anna Giaritelli,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Sep. 2025
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Sagiv Rotenberg, Hayut’s lawyer, revealed that Hayut would be appealing his detention and was planning on seeking help on having his case dismissed in Germany.—
Leia Mendoza,
Variety,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The policy marks a shift toward stricter in-person vetting and security checks, but also comes amid skyrocketing wait times for visa interviews in several countries.—
Alia Shoaib,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
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For children with sepsis, a potentially lethal reaction by the body to infection that causes 20% of deaths worldwide, the wait can prove deadly.—
Brian Simpson,
NPR,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Still grieving the death of his wife and the imprisonment of his son, Brandis binges on booze but possesses a sharp and intuitive mind, even if his family life is in disarray.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
12 Sep. 2025
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The two men care for each other amidst the squalid conditions of their imprisonment in 1970s Argentina.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Since their incarceration during the Japanese Internment, my grandfather, his sister, and their mother have processed this trauma in ways that have affected my mother and me.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Sep. 2025
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He was sentenced to four years’ probation and 30 days of shock incarceration.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Detainment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detainment. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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