detachment

1
2
as in patrol
a small military unit with a special task or function the general sent a detachment ahead to scout the enemy's position

Synonyms & Similar Words

3

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of detachment The assignment to a penal detachment is arguably a death sentence, however, as Russia's military has routinely used ex-convict forces to conduct near-suicidal missions in the war against Ukraine, leading to high casualty rates. Anders Hagstrom, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2025 The point isn’t detachment but learning how not to lose yourself in the process of managing someone else. Moira Forbes, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025 The district walked back the idea, but the move sparked public outcry and raised questions about whether splitting a school district — a process called detachment — has to be approved by voters in a public election. Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 May 2025 The psychological response is clear: when vulnerability consistently leads to disappointment, and external systems appear fundamentally unreliable, emotional detachment becomes a coping mechanism. Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for detachment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detachment
Noun
  • Richards’s convictions, and his aspirations for psychedelics, prompt questions about the objectivity of such research.
    Michael Pollan, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
  • The implementation of data analytics allows investors to make more informed decisions, reduce dependence on the human factor and increase the objectivity of their assessments.
    Dmitrii Khasanov, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
Noun
  • Highway patrol video shows damage to the plane’s tail, which appears to have broken off along with other parts of the aircraft.
    Amanda Musa, CNN Money, 8 June 2025
  • But that morning, border patrol agents were spotted across the street from the Home Depot, gathering around 9 a.m.
    Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2025
Noun
  • Meta, Pepsi, and Ubisoft — brands that embraced LGBTQ+ marketing with Pride colors just two years ago — stayed monochrome, betting that neutrality equals safety.
    Gillian Oakenfull, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
  • When innocent people are attacked for their faith or identity, neutrality is not courage.
    Larry Hogan, Baltimore Sun, 4 June 2025
Noun
  • On Tuesday afternoon, House Speaker Mike Johnson presented the medal to the family of Charity Adams Earley, the battalion’s commanding officer.
    Ellen Wexler, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Apr. 2025
  • In the clip, a battalion commander for the I.D.F. instructs a group of soldiers who are preparing for a hostage-rescue operation in Rafah.
    Colin Jones, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • In the play’s most striking image, the dead sit in the Grover’s Corners graveyard in rows—rather like a theatre audience—watching the living with quiet dispassion.
    Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2024
  • Nell shows a remarkable understanding of the song, a sense of dispassion that is both beautiful and chilling.
    Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2024
Noun
  • As a consequence, its countries are practiced in the art of strategic hedging and are predisposed to neutralism and nonalignment, owing to their colonial histories.
    David Shambaugh, Foreign Affairs, 17 Dec. 2020
  • India, an avatar of forceful neutralism early on, saw its influence diminished by regional conflict and domestic troubles.
    Erez Manela, Foreign Affairs, 14 Dec. 2021
Noun
  • The squadron was flying off the USS Nimitz after seven months to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island where they were based.
    Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 29 May 2025
  • Prior to the arrival of the two F-35B squadrons from Arizona, Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni was already the permanent home to the Marine Fighter Attack Squadrons 242 and 121, which operate the same type of jets and provide combat-ready forces for operations in the Western Pacific.
    Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025
Noun
  • The two death row inmates in South Carolina died by firing squad this year after the state legislature approved the method partly due to prison officials not being able to obtain drugs needed for lethal injections.
    Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 9 June 2025
  • If college sports morph into inferior versions of the NFL, NBA, WNBA, MLB and other major pro leagues, college teams run the risk of resembling minor league squads that would generate much less revenue.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 8 June 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Detachment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detachment. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on detachment

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!