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
And remember, competition is anything that detracts people from your business.
—
Michael Newman, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2024
That will of course detract so much away from our attention.
—Megan Farokhmanesh, WIRED, 14 Mar. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for detract
Michael Newman, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2024
That will of course detract so much away from our attention.
—Megan Farokhmanesh, WIRED, 14 Mar. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for detract
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detract
Verb
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As the plant grows around it, the support becomes almost invisible and does not distract from the plant's beauty.—
Rita Pelczar,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 July 2025
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This all, of course, was not to distract from the center of her makeup look: a matte red lip.—
Essence,
Essence,
14 July 2025
Verb
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Critics of President Donald Trump have claimed that the release is an effort to divert attention from the Jeffrey Epstein controversy.—
Danielle Chemtob,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
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With 90% from demolition and 10% from construction, these materials could be diverted from the landfill and sold.—
Linda Thompson Gonzalez,
Sun Sentinel,
20 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Detract.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detract. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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