detachment

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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

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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
  • Police officials have acknowledged in the past that patrol officers across the city are routinely tied down on high-priority calls for service.
    Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2025
  • Officer Austin Turner has been a Marietta patrol officer for close to four years.
    Katja Ridderbusch, NPR, 26 May 2025
Noun
  • Foundation director resigns over neutrality The foundation is off to a rocky start.
    Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 29 May 2025
  • The company’s goal is to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.
    Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 27 May 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
  • Though not the most efficient night (3 of 9), Martin’s 10-point outing had to be encouraging for a Tiffany Hayes-less squad that was looking for offense.
    Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 28 May 2025
  • But the goalkeeper did not train like the rest of the squad.
    Emily Olsen, New York Times, 28 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Detachment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detachment. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.

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