detachments

noun

plural of detachment
as in patrols
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 detachments His career spanned roles as Naval Security Group detachments in Japan and San Diego. — Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 May 2026 Additional police resources were deployed to the area from neighboring detachments, along with the North District Emergency Response Team. — Alexandra Koch , Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 11 Feb. 2026 The Israeli military has amassed two major groups of armored vehicles in Sheikh Radwan, to the north of Gaza City, according to the imagery, with additional detachments of armored vehicles stationed along roads that lead toward Israel. — CNN Money, 17 Sep. 2025 Although the much smaller Michino’o/Togitsu metal foundry detachments could not compete with the Ōhashi unit in terms of sheer noise and numbers, these girls were in high spirits this fine and yet‑too‑hot hot morning. — Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detachments
  1. troops
  2. battalions
  3. squads
  4. squadrons
  5. platoons
Noun
  • That cooperation was also seen in recent joint Russia-China naval drills, and in North Korea sending troops to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 31 July 2026
  • The Nazis and the Soviet Union led the way in leveraging propaganda, using sharply skewed information and entertainment to inspire their troops, rally the homeland, and win over—or confuse—enemy populations.
    — Marc Fisher, New Yorker, 30 July 2026
Definition of troops
Noun
  • The Israeli army built another five battalions of soldiers who were never engaged in service or finished their service and wish to return to duty.
    — Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2026
  • These religious sites and sacred areas throughout Ukraine have not been used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces or Ukrainian volunteer battalions as staging grounds to fight against Russian forces.
    — Mark Temnycky, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
Definition of battalions
Noun
  • Several traveling women’s all-star and pro leagues, exhibition teams and amateur squads in the past century had varying success.
    — James Raia, Mercury News, 31 July 2026
  • He was banned from one of his favorite pizza joints, Angie’s, and after making a crude comment to a waitress at a volunteer firefighter party, he was kicked off one of his squads.
    — Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2026
Definition of squads
Noun
  • The initial test drop, which employed BDU-56 practice bombers, highlighted how front-line squadrons could employ the Eagle II to carry heavy, next-generation munitions.
    — Peter Suciu, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
  • The base is home to 40 commands, which include 13 logistics squadrons that accrue over 40,000 hours of flight time each year.
    — Maven Navarro, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 July 2026
Definition of squadrons
Noun
  • In the coming years, as Erik Neander took over the baseball operations department, the Rays were at the forefront of analytics with defensive shifts, aggressive platoons, utilizing openers, creating a menagerie of arm slots in the bullpen and, yes, prioritizing exit velocity.
    — John Romano, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 May 2026
  • Outfield requires far more starting spots, and most of those available later in drafts are locked in platoons.
    — Dalton Del Don, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Definition of platoons

Browse Nearby Words

detachment
detachments
detail
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Cite this Entry

“Detachments.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detachments. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on detachments

Nglish: Translation of detachments for Spanish Speakers

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