detected; detecting; detects
1
: to discover the true character of
detecting drug smugglers
2
: to discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
detect alcohol in the blood
Do I detect a note of sarcasm in your voice?
3
: to work as a detective
Examples of detect in a Sentence
The test is used to detect the presence of alcohol in the blood.
This type of cancer is difficult to detect in its early stages.
Recent Examples on the Web
These systems can detect submarines at longer distances and with higher accuracy.
—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 23 Jan. 2026
When disease surveillance weakens, outbreaks are detected later, spread farther, and cost exponentially more to contain.
—Sylvana Quader Sinha, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Holmes experienced a meteoric rise in the early 2010s with the initial success of her company, Theranos, which claimed its medical device could detect diseases from a few drops of blood at a fraction of the price.
—Jacqueline Munis, Fortune, 23 Jan. 2026
Some experts cautioned that LAUSD’s consultants tested the air for only a handful of mostly non-hazardous VOCs that are typically used to detect smoke from a wildfire that primarily burned plants.
—Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for detect
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Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 23 Jan. 2026
When disease surveillance weakens, outbreaks are detected later, spread farther, and cost exponentially more to contain.
—Sylvana Quader Sinha, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Holmes experienced a meteoric rise in the early 2010s with the initial success of her company, Theranos, which claimed its medical device could detect diseases from a few drops of blood at a fraction of the price.
—Jacqueline Munis, Fortune, 23 Jan. 2026
Some experts cautioned that LAUSD’s consultants tested the air for only a handful of mostly non-hazardous VOCs that are typically used to detect smoke from a wildfire that primarily burned plants.
—Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for detect
Cite this Entry
“Detect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detect. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
detect
verb
de·tect
di-ˈtekt 
: to discover the nature, existence, presence, or fact of
detect the approach of an airplane
detection
noun
-ˈtek-shən
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