detract from
phrasal verb
detracted from; detracting from; detracts from
formal
: to reduce the strength, value, or importance of (something)
They worried that the scandal would seriously detract from her chances for reelection.
The overcooked vegetables detracted somewhat from an otherwise fine meal.
Examples of detract from in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The film’s vintage patina doesn’t detract from rising actor Will Price’s confident performance as an immature mobster who prefers bitcoin to stacks of Benjamins.
—
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Documentarians Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard, who also gave us the ruminative Nick Cave portrait 20,000 Days on Earth (2014), use this as an elaborate framing device, the sort of oddball choice that doesn’t feel necessary yet also doesn’t detract from the goal at hand.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 26 Jan. 2026
Gans could have allowed the hulking, evil character to register as an oppressive, scene-stealing presence, but opts to force Pyramid Head into crowded frames with other monsters who, even at their best designed, frequently detract from the paltry terror and register as annoying visual noise.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026
Defeat is sometimes inescapable part, but that hasn’t detracted from Hogan’s larger goals.
—Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for detract from
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Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Documentarians Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard, who also gave us the ruminative Nick Cave portrait 20,000 Days on Earth (2014), use this as an elaborate framing device, the sort of oddball choice that doesn’t feel necessary yet also doesn’t detract from the goal at hand.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 26 Jan. 2026
Gans could have allowed the hulking, evil character to register as an oppressive, scene-stealing presence, but opts to force Pyramid Head into crowded frames with other monsters who, even at their best designed, frequently detract from the paltry terror and register as annoying visual noise.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026
Defeat is sometimes inescapable part, but that hasn’t detracted from Hogan’s larger goals.
—Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for detract from
Cite this Entry
“Detract from.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detract%20from. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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