Definition of DETRACT

Examples of detract in a Sentence

numerous typos in the text detract the reader's attention from the novel's intricate plot

Recent Examples on the Web

Though often bright and upbeat, the guitars by no means detract from the songs’ potency; instead, the catchiness is often how Jordan sneaks in some of the album’s more devastating moments. — Robert Steiner, BostonGlobe.com, "On Snail Mail’s ‘Lush,’ adolescent angst from an old soul," 6 June 2018 Bettman suggested the city's rain would be problematic and that going under a roof at T-Mobile Park would detract from the outdoor experience. — Geoff Baker, The Seattle Times, "Outdoor NHL game in Seattle? As good a chance as the new team being named ‘Kraken’," 14 Jan. 2019 The ongoing, effectively self-inflicted public relations crisis is now affecting key personnel within the organization and detracting the market from the fundamentals. — Tim Higgins, WSJ, "Tesla Shares Slide After More Executives Leave, Musk Interview," 7 Sep. 2018 McGuire said nothing in AB 2805 is going to detract from his clients' experiences. — Ryan Sabalow, sacbee, "Wild pigs cause millions in damages in California. But hunting them could become easier," 25 June 2018 But incessant name-dropping aside — which tends to detract from his gripping narrative — Holiday has written one helluva page-turner. — William D. Cohan, New York Times, "Bringing Down a Media Empire," 27 Feb. 2018 In fact, Kate has opted out of serving as Pippa's matron of honor, determined not to detract attention from the bride to be, according to royal experts. — Carrie Goldberg, Harper's BAZAAR, "The Challenge Of Living Up To Your Sister's (Or Best Friend's) Wedding," 15 May 2017 Raising awareness about cyber-bullying is a noble cause, but this collection—and its rollout—unfortunately detracted from the issue. — Halie Lesavage, Glamour, "Online Retailer Revolve Removes Sweatshirts From Its Website After Accusations of Fat-Shaming," 12 Sep. 2018 If a team drafts a player in the first 10 rounds but cannot sign him, the slot value of that pick is detracted from the team’s pool. — Chris Johnson, SI.com, "Kyler Murray's Baseball and Football Careers Converge for an Intriguing Summer at Oklahoma," 1 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'detract.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.