1
as in imprisonment
the state of being held in lawful custody
he's been in detention since the arrest
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in delay
an instance or period of being prevented from going about one's business
the detention at the airport security checkpoint was brief, but because he was running late, it caused him to miss his flight
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of detention
The building houses federal offices including an immigration court and ICE detention facilities.
—
Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
Before that can happen, though, attorneys for CoreCivic will argue at a Kansas Court of Appeals hearing in Topeka next Tuesday that the injunction blocking detentions at the facility without local officials’ approval should be lifted.
—Matthew Kelly
february 3, Kansas City Star, 3 Feb. 2026
Truant students will receive Saturday school detention and lose exemptions for final exams, Wright wrote.
—Keri Heath, Austin American Statesman, 3 Feb. 2026
Shifting sand Rafael’s detention has delivered a financial blow to Heather and the family, who had hoped to send a kid to college next year with Rafael’s support.
—Lilly Kersh, Dallas Morning News, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for detention
Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
Before that can happen, though, attorneys for CoreCivic will argue at a Kansas Court of Appeals hearing in Topeka next Tuesday that the injunction blocking detentions at the facility without local officials’ approval should be lifted.
—Matthew Kelly
february 3, Kansas City Star, 3 Feb. 2026
Truant students will receive Saturday school detention and lose exemptions for final exams, Wright wrote.
—Keri Heath, Austin American Statesman, 3 Feb. 2026
Shifting sand Rafael’s detention has delivered a financial blow to Heather and the family, who had hoped to send a kid to college next year with Rafael’s support.
—Lilly Kersh, Dallas Morning News, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for detention
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detention
Noun
-
He is charged with grand larceny, kidnapping, unauthorized use of a vehicle and unlawful imprisonment, cops said.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
3 Feb. 2026
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Bukele brought murder rates in El Salvador to historic lows through a gargantuan imprisonment campaign and police crackdown, but faces numerous allegations of human rights violations, especially regarding his notorious Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT).—
Djenane Villanueva,
CNN Money,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Bridgerton season four wisely ditches the blackmail and delays Bridgerton’s indecent proposal.—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Originally supposed to fly Sierra Space Dream Chaser test flight, but payload switched to an inert mass simulator because of potential Dream Chaser delays beyond October launch date.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
His lawyers also stressed the difficult conditions behind bars for Stanley since his incarceration for this crime.—
Mike Hellgren,
CBS News,
3 Feb. 2026
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But in the invisibly sculpting hands of Swiss director Petra Volpe and the exquisite performances of two first-rate actors, Kingsley Ben-Adir and Rob Morgan, Frank & Louis is an uncommonly tender incarceration drama.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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At that pace, long waits are facing most of the roughly 20,000 sick and wounded people who Gaza’s Health Ministry has said need treatment abroad.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
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In the two Tesla rides the American-Statesman requested, the first had a wait time of 29 minutes, while the second had a wait time of 13 minutes — both longer than the average Waymo wait time.—
Karoline Leonard,
Austin American Statesman,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Detention.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detention. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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