arrest
verb
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Definition of arrest
(Entry 1 of 2)
arrest
nounDefinition of arrest (Entry 2 of 2)
1 : the taking or detaining in custody by authority of law The investigation led to his arrest.
2a : the act of stopping
b : the condition of being stopped or inactive — compare cardiac arrest
: in legal custody The suspect was placed under arrest.
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Other words from arrest
Verb
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noun
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noun
Synonyms & Antonyms for arrest
Synonyms: Verb
apprehend, bust [slang], collar, nab, nail, pick up, pinch, pull in, restrain, run in, seize
Synonyms: Noun
arrestment, cease, cessation, check, close, closedown, closure, conclusion, cutoff, discontinuance, discontinuation, end, ending, expiration, finish, halt, lapse, offset, shutdown, shutoff, stay, stop, stoppage, surcease, termination
Antonyms: Verb
Antonyms: Noun
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Examples of arrest in a Sentence
Verb
The police arrested him on drug charges. The police officer said, “I'm arresting you in the name of the law.” The drugs can't arrest the disease's progress, but they can slow it down considerably.Noun
The police are investigating the case but they have not yet made any arrests. She was charged with resisting arrest. The information has led to the arrest of three suspects.
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Earlier this week, James Manuel Johnson, 43, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder while armed, police said. — Dana Hedgpeth, Washington Post, "Second man arrested and charged in fatal stabbing in D.C.," 12 July 2018 Mendez was arrested and charged with murdering her grandson seven months after the baby’s death, court records show. — Marisa Gerber, latimes.com, "Judge orders release of woman who served 11 years behind bars in grandson's death," 12 July 2018 Trybus was arrested and charged with assault and disorderly conduct, CBS News reported. — Natalie Dreier, ajc, "Man harasses woman wearing Puerto Rico flag shirt," 11 July 2018 Buy Photo The 41-year-old daughter and granddaughter of two women beaten to death over the weekend in a Ventnor, N.J., high-rise was arrested Wednesday in New York City and charged with their slayings, Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon G. Tyner said. — Robert Moran, Philly.com, "Woman arrested in beating deaths of mother, grandmother in Ventnor," 11 July 2018 Officials say two protesters were arrested and two federal officers suffered minor injuries in a flare up at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement headquarters in Portland. — Fox News, "Tensions flare at Oregon immigration protest; officers hurt," 10 July 2018 He was arrested and charged initially with assault of a family member on Saturday, but his charge was upgraded to murder soon after that, the Houston Chronicle reported. — Matthew Martinez, star-telegram, "He strangled his wife so she wouldn't go to jail for car debt, Texas cops say," 10 July 2018 Additionally, the 19-year-old driver was arrested and charged with driving without a license or insurance and was cited for a stop sign violation, police said. — Megan Jones, Aurora Beacon-News, "Aurora teen charged with aggravated use of a weapon," 10 July 2018 Roche was arrested Friday and charged with first-degree murder, police said. — Amy B Wang, chicagotribune.com, "Man confronted teenage neighbor over fireworks — then shot him to death, police say," 7 July 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
No arrests have been made and police have not publicly identified any suspects or said whether McCoy was suspected of being involved. — Rob Tornoe, Philly.com, "LeSean McCoy domestic abuse allegations: What we know," 12 July 2018 No arrests have been made in the case as of Thursday afternoon. — A.j. Perez, USA TODAY, "LeSean McCoy's ex-girlfriend on home invasion 911 call: 'It has something to do with my ex'," 12 July 2018 Mike Finch II Source: California Department of Justice Get the data No arrest has been made in her incident, but the investigation remains open, said Elk Grove Police Department spokesman Jason Jimenez. — Anita Chabria And Michael Finch Ii, sacbee, "Hate crimes in Sacramento County have increased by 66 percent since 2014," 12 July 2018 Area Central detectives said no arrests have been made. — Chicago Tribune, chicagotribune.com, "Woman found slain along river in Goose Island identified," 10 July 2018 In the end, no arrests were made and the group left the parking lot. — NBC News, "#WhileBlack: Calling police on black people becomes teachable moments for law enforcement," 6 July 2018 The arrests were made with the assistance of the Ottawa, Gurnee, Aurora and Palatine police departments and the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office. — Mike Danahey, Elgin Courier-News, "Bartlett duo indicted on charges they robbed banks in Aurora, Gurnee, Ottawa," 5 July 2018 The arrests were made with the assistance of the Ottawa, Gurnee, Aurora and Palatine police departments, as well as the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office. — Frank Abderholden, Lake County News-Sun, "FBI charges man, woman in string of suburban bank robberies using AK-47, including one in Gurnee," 5 July 2018 No arrests have been made in the incident, WFTS reported. — Natalie Dreier, ajc, "Man at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay hit by bullet shot to celebrate July 4th," 5 July 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'arrest.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for arrest
arrest
verb
English Language Learners Definition of arrest
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to use the power of the law to take and keep (someone, such as a criminal)
: to stop the progress or movement of (something)
: to attract and hold the attention of (someone or something)
arrest
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of arrest (Entry 2 of 2)
: the act of legally taking and keeping someone (such as a criminal) : the act of arresting someone
medical : an occurrence in which a part of the body suddenly stops working
See the full definition for arrest in the English Language Learners Dictionary
arrest
verb
\
Kids Definition of arrest
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : to take or keep control over (someone) by authority of law She was arrested on suspicion of robbery.
2 : to stop the progress or movement of : check arrest a disease
3 : to attract and hold the attention of But I was suddenly arrested by a sight that only Grandma and I saw. —Richard Peck, A Year Down Yonder
arrest
nounKids Definition of arrest (Entry 2 of 2)
: the act of taking or holding a person by authority of law
arrest
transitive verb
\
Medical Definition of arrest
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to bring to a standstill or state of inactivity arrested tuberculosis arrested labor
: to undergo cardiac arrest the…patient has arrested while being transported to surgery —Wayne Fields
arrest
nounMedical Definition of arrest (Entry 2 of 2)
: the condition of being stopped developmental arrest — see cardiac arrest — compare cure sense 1, remission
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arrest
nounLegal Definition of arrest
(Entry 1 of 2)
: the restraining and seizure of a person whether or not by physical force by someone acting under authority (as a police officer) in connection with a crime in such a manner that it is reasonable under the circumstances for the person to believe that he or she is not free to leave — see also miranda warnings, probable cause at cause sense 2, warrant — compare stop
: an arrest made not by a law officer but by any citizen who derives the authority to arrest from the fact of being a citizen
Note:
Under common law, a citizen may make an arrest for any felony actually committed, or for a breach of the peace committed in his or her presence.
: the arrest and detention of a defendant in a civil suit until he or she posts bail or pays the judgment — see also capias ad respondendum
Note:
Civil arrest is restricted or prohibited in most states.
: an arrest of a person accompanied by or followed by taking the person into custody
: an arrest made without legal authority
— called also
unlawful arrest
Note:
If a person is taken into custody, no matter how briefly, a false arrest is also false imprisonment.
: the arrest of a person for a minor crime (as a traffic violation) for the real purpose of getting an opportunity to investigate (as through a search) the person's possible involvement in a more serious crime for which there are no lawful grounds to make an arrest
— called also
pretextual arrest
: false arrest in this entry
: in the condition of being restrained under legal authority
arrest
transitive verbLegal Definition of arrest (Entry 2 of 2)
: to place under arrest
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