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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Muse, 29, was arrested June 24, 2024, on allegations of inappropriate conduct with children at the Fort Worth private school.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 July 2025
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In late December 2022, Bryan was arrested at his parents' — Maryann and Michael's — Pennsylvania home in connection with the murders of four University of Idaho students who were killed the previous month.—
Jordana Comiter,
People.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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South Park's season 27 premiere was delayed and ultimately moved from Comedy Central to Paramount+ amid parent company Paramount's pending merger with Skydance.—
Emlyn Travis Published,
EW.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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Investigators noted that one of the devices that was seized could not be examined because it was encrypted, the warrant affidavit said.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
22 July 2025
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Marino revealed to This American Life that during the early days of filming the reality show, Butler approached him about selling large amounts of marijuana that had been seized in drug raids by Wielsch.—
Lynsey Eidell,
People.com,
22 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Detain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detain. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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