Definition of detract
transitive verb
1 archaic : to speak ill of
2 archaic : to take away
3 : divert didn't mean to detract attention from the guest of honor
intransitive verb
: to diminish the importance, value, or effectiveness of something —often used with from small errors that do not seriously detract from the book
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Examples of detract in a Sentence
numerous typos in the text detract the reader's attention from the novel's intricate plot
Recent Examples of detract from the Web
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Yet as promising as the therapy seems, could the spotlight on immunotherapies detract from other areas of cancer research?
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The #covfefe stuff is funny, but everyone gets that this is one way Trump will detract from some really bad news for him last night, yes?
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The Sunni extremists are increasingly turning to insurgency-style terror attacks to detract from their losses.
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Besides, say supporters of the Cannes digital movement, the inclusion of titles from companies like Netflix does not detract from others’ ability to shine at the festival.
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To walk the solemn rows of white crosses and Stars of David is to be humbled, recognizing how truly small is our ability to add or detract to the enormity of June 1944.
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The NCAA has to combat overlap, crafting a schedule to not detract from teams' on-field time for practices, warmups and games.
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There were two things that actually detracted from game play.
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.
Origin and Etymology of detract
Middle English, from Latin detractus, past participle of detrahere to pull down, disparage, from de- + trahere to draw
First Known Use: 15th century
DETRACT Defined for Kids
detract
playDefinition of detract for Students
detracted
;detracting
: to take away (as from value or importance) Signs detract from the beauty of the scenery.
Learn More about detract
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See words that rhyme with detract Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for detract Spanish Central: Translation of detract Nglish: Translation of detract for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of detract for Arabic speakers
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