1
as in delays
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in imprisonments
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
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 detainments
Immigration sweeps peaked in Orange County’s most populous city last summer with at least 30 detainments between mid-June and mid-September, including when federal officers descended several times on car washes and a Home Depot, ending in several deportations.
—
Victoria Le, Oc Register, 14 Apr. 2026
Hefets’ detainments were part of a national policy toward antisemitism, defined over decades in the shadow of the Holocaust and sharpened recently under the helm of Felix Klein, the first federal commissioner for combating antisemitism.
—Shira Li Bartov, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
Kim is the executive director of Minnesota Voice, a progressive nonprofit dedicated to voter registration, civic engagement and training community organizers, and took a visible role organizing against Immigration end Customs Enforcement detainments during Operation Metro Surge.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 4 Mar. 2026
The singer’s tour stop in Minnesota doubled as a benefit concert for Minneapolis nonprofit The Advocates for Human Rights, which has been working to support families affected by ICE’s arrests, detainments and deportations in the city.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 23 Feb. 2026
Many of the students who have participated in school walkouts have cited deep personal concerns about how ICE's operations could result in wrongful detainments or violence in their communities.
—Cate Charron, IndyStar, 19 Feb. 2026
The Lawrence Police Department did not confirm the detainments.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 17 Feb. 2026
The detainments have broadly affected the staff and students in her district.
—Janelle Griffith, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
The Statesman has reached out to Hays County, Buda and Kyle officials for information on any other potential detainments.
—Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 15 Jan. 2026
Victoria Le, Oc Register, 14 Apr. 2026
Hefets’ detainments were part of a national policy toward antisemitism, defined over decades in the shadow of the Holocaust and sharpened recently under the helm of Felix Klein, the first federal commissioner for combating antisemitism.
—Shira Li Bartov, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
Kim is the executive director of Minnesota Voice, a progressive nonprofit dedicated to voter registration, civic engagement and training community organizers, and took a visible role organizing against Immigration end Customs Enforcement detainments during Operation Metro Surge.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 4 Mar. 2026
The singer’s tour stop in Minnesota doubled as a benefit concert for Minneapolis nonprofit The Advocates for Human Rights, which has been working to support families affected by ICE’s arrests, detainments and deportations in the city.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 23 Feb. 2026
Many of the students who have participated in school walkouts have cited deep personal concerns about how ICE's operations could result in wrongful detainments or violence in their communities.
—Cate Charron, IndyStar, 19 Feb. 2026
The Lawrence Police Department did not confirm the detainments.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 17 Feb. 2026
The detainments have broadly affected the staff and students in her district.
—Janelle Griffith, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
The Statesman has reached out to Hays County, Buda and Kyle officials for information on any other potential detainments.
—Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 15 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detainments
Noun
-
The rest of the production had been much harder—particularly because, to his frustration, he’d been forced to film primarily in Atlanta rather than in Oakland, after a year of maddening delays led to the production losing its California tax rebate.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
-
And the bus agency will stage buses to handle potential overflow crowds or delays on the streetcar, among other improvements through the Kansas City Area Transit Authority (KCATA) during the World Cup.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
Darling pointed to recent high profile imprisonments of Baha’i cousins Peyvand Naimi and Borna Naimi, who have undergone torture to force confessions and face possible death sentences.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
1 May 2026
-
In Acts, the disciple Paul endures several imprisonments, turning to God for strength and divine intervention.—
Emiliano Tahui Gómez,
Austin American Statesman,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The study examined more than 140,000 reviews from 147 DMVs across 30 major cities, the report says, looking for keywords related to long waits and bad service in reviews with three or fewer stars.—
Eva Flowe
May 12,
Charlotte Observer,
12 May 2026
-
And while many potential riders who spoke with The Times this week echoed that enthusiasm, most also mentioned some reservations, including feeling cautious about potentially long waits at night or ongoing concerns about public safety.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
During the border security conference this month, the head of Customs and Border Protection, Rodney Scott, was asked about ProPublica’s reporting on citizens’ detentions and how the agency is addressing them.—
Nicole Foy,
ProPublica,
15 May 2026
-
The detentions come after a handful of other arrests months earlier, but Fúnez has long been pinpointed by local environmental and religious leaders as the man who spearheaded the assassination.—
Marlon González,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Once a technically complicated legal rarity used to challenge improper incarcerations, habeas corpus petitions have become the predominant avenue for immigrants seeking release from detentions that increasingly end only with a deportation order.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Despite their felony convictions and impending incarcerations, both former Met police career criminals continue to collect their monthly kisses in the mail — $8,850 a month for Cederquist and $6,020 for Butner.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
4 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Detainments.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detainments. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
