as in sensor
a device that detects some physical quantity and responds usually with a transmitted signal
a motion detector to thwart burglaries
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Recent Examples of detector
On the premises there are also 24-hour CCTV cameras with four separate monitoring stations (one on site, three external), intruder alarms and flood detectors installed in the floors, ceilings and walls.
—
Kati Chitrakorn, CNN Money, 17 Sep. 2025
By the time the ripples from GW150914 arrived at Earth, the size of those ripples, which translates into a quantity known as the strain amplitude for a gravitational wave detector, was down to 10-21, or one part in one sextillion.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 17 Sep. 2025
In the years since, LIGO, funded by the National Science Foundation, joined forces with gravitational wave detectors Virgo in Italy and the Kamioka Gravitational Wave Detector (KAGRA) in Japan.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025
Adama’s drone detector screamed a warning, picking up the electronic signature of an approaching Russian craft.
—Ken Harbaugh, The Atlantic, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detector
Kati Chitrakorn, CNN Money, 17 Sep. 2025
By the time the ripples from GW150914 arrived at Earth, the size of those ripples, which translates into a quantity known as the strain amplitude for a gravitational wave detector, was down to 10-21, or one part in one sextillion.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 17 Sep. 2025
In the years since, LIGO, funded by the National Science Foundation, joined forces with gravitational wave detectors Virgo in Italy and the Kamioka Gravitational Wave Detector (KAGRA) in Japan.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025
Adama’s drone detector screamed a warning, picking up the electronic signature of an approaching Russian craft.
—Ken Harbaugh, The Atlantic, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detector
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detector
sensor
Noun
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Such sensors can identify electromagnetic pulses, X-rays, and optical flashes from nuclear explosions anywhere on Earth, allowing the US to determine a detonation’s time, location, and yield in real time.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Sep. 2025
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The test was designed to simulate real traffic conditions with engineers embedding a series of sensors along the bridge to monitor stress, vibration and any deflection in the structure.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Detector.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detector. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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