detract

verb de·tract \ di-ˈtrakt , dē- \

|Updated on: 4 Aug 2018

Examples: detract in a Sentence

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

—

detractor

play \-ˈtrak-tər\ noun

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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

The pacing, though, doesn’t detract from the involving work by the actors.

— matthew j. palm, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Slow to build, 'Gidion's Knot' pays off in tangle of wrenching emotions," 28 June 2018
This doesn’t detract a whit from its heart-breaking poignancy and the storm of emotions that leaves half the audience sobbing by the final scenes.

— deborah young, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms': Film Review | Shanghai 2018," 27 June 2018
The resignation of the Home Secretary must not detract from the fact that this crisis was a direct result of the hostile environment policy.

— ralph ellis, CNN, "UK Home Secretary Amber Rudd resigns over immigration scandal," 30 Apr. 2018
But the modernized uniforms, which features dark blue accents, detracts from this set just enough for the other team from L.A. to take the top spot.

— steven ruiz, For The Win, "Every NFL team's best alternate uniform, ranked," 3 July 2018
What was likely a fairly modest budget means Au sticks to basics technically, though anything flashy would detract from the pic’s essential humanism.

— elizabeth kerr, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Distinction' ('Fei tung faan heung'): Film Review," 27 June 2018
Hatfield also suggests the design adopted by the university, horseshoe shaped and open to the north, could help create a swirling wind that will detract from performances.

— andrew greif, OregonLive.com, "Oregon Ducks bow out of 3x3 World Cup against eventual champs," 12 June 2018
Most of the fish are small, but that doesn’t seem to detract.

— tom stienstra, SFChronicle.com, "Trails, camps, lakes open for summer in Land of Muir," 17 June 2018
However, some noted that the video could be a stunt to detract from his feud with Pusha T, which has recently been making headlines.

— jaclyn reiss, BostonGlobe.com, "Drake got the ‘Degrassi’ crew together for a reunion in his new music video, and millennials are freaking out," 14 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.

Origin and Etymology of detract

Middle English, from Latin detractus, past participle of detrahere to pull down, disparage, from de- + trahere to draw

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First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

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detract Synonyms

DETRACT Defined for Kids

detract

verb de·tract \ di-ˈtrakt \

Definition of detract for Students

detracted; detracting

: to take away (as from value or importance) Signs detract from the beauty of the scenery.

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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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detract

Definition of detract

detractor

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detract

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detract

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detractor

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