as in to distract
to draw the attention or mind to something else
numerous typos in the text detract the reader's attention from the novel's intricate plot
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Recent Examples of detract
The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract.
—
Kary Love, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025
That shouldn’t detract too much from what remain a hugely stylish, powerful little laptop that is ideally suited to business executives who want a device to slip into their hand luggage.
—Barry Collins, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
Peas enrich the soil with nitrogen, benefitting turnips, while turnips detract aphids, which benefits peas.
—Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Oct. 2024
And remember, competition is anything that detracts people from your business.
—Michael Newman, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for detract
Kary Love, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025
That shouldn’t detract too much from what remain a hugely stylish, powerful little laptop that is ideally suited to business executives who want a device to slip into their hand luggage.
—Barry Collins, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
Peas enrich the soil with nitrogen, benefitting turnips, while turnips detract aphids, which benefits peas.
—Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Oct. 2024
And remember, competition is anything that detracts people from your business.
—Michael Newman, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for detract
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detract
Verb
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Too often, however, the temptation to blame individuals or groups for housing ills distracts from the actual debate and prevents all stakeholders from discovering their mutual interests.—
Matt Frazier,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
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The scientists now plan on developing the technology further, which will include boosting its ability to filter out distracting background noises such as those produced by body movements.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
19 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The fourth plane, Flight 93, was diverted and crashed in Pennsylvania.—
Arick Wierson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Apr. 2025
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Passengers aboard a United Airlines flight were temporarily diverted from their destination after an incident with a rabbit affected the aircraft’s engine.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Detract.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detract. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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