1
as in arresting
to take or keep (someone) in confinement by authority of law
Police detained the suspect.
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2
as in delaying
to keep (someone or something) from proceeding or progressing
She sent word that she had been unavoidably detained. The plane was detained for hours due to inclement weather.
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Recent Examples of detaining
The incident became a flash point in ongoing debates over whether immigration officials had gone too far in detaining a young boy.
—
Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 6 Feb. 2026
Nationally there have been documented instances of ICE either directly targeting a school or child care center, or detaining students, parents or staff in the vicinity of these spaces, like school parking lots and bus stops, in Minnesota, Illinois, and California since January 2025.
—Beki San Martin, Freep.com, 6 Feb. 2026
The video also shows agents detaining one person during the incident, walking them to a van as the altercation ensued.
—Gio Insignares, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
Allegations include entering homes without warrants, stopping, intimidating and seizing legal observers, and detaining suspects by virtue of their appearance or accent.
—Yohuru Williams, The Conversation, 4 Feb. 2026
Video circulated online of federal agents detaining an American citizen outside a Home Depot, then driving off in the man’s car with his toddler still strapped in the back seat.
—Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026
The move is meant to punish Iran for killing and detaining a number of protesters.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 1 Feb. 2026
Authorities ultimately secured Leon by detaining him in a chair at the scene, according to the footage.
—Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
The judge’s order, which barred federal agents from forcefully confronting or detaining lawful observers, has been temporarily paused by an appeals court.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 29 Jan. 2026
Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 6 Feb. 2026
Nationally there have been documented instances of ICE either directly targeting a school or child care center, or detaining students, parents or staff in the vicinity of these spaces, like school parking lots and bus stops, in Minnesota, Illinois, and California since January 2025.
—Beki San Martin, Freep.com, 6 Feb. 2026
The video also shows agents detaining one person during the incident, walking them to a van as the altercation ensued.
—Gio Insignares, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
Allegations include entering homes without warrants, stopping, intimidating and seizing legal observers, and detaining suspects by virtue of their appearance or accent.
—Yohuru Williams, The Conversation, 4 Feb. 2026
Video circulated online of federal agents detaining an American citizen outside a Home Depot, then driving off in the man’s car with his toddler still strapped in the back seat.
—Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026
The move is meant to punish Iran for killing and detaining a number of protesters.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 1 Feb. 2026
Authorities ultimately secured Leon by detaining him in a chair at the scene, according to the footage.
—Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
The judge’s order, which barred federal agents from forcefully confronting or detaining lawful observers, has been temporarily paused by an appeals court.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 29 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detaining
Verb
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The White House has long blamed problems arresting criminal immigrants on places known as sanctuary jurisdictions, a term generally applied to state and local governments that limit law enforcement cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security.—
Steve Karnowski,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Feb. 2026
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The Associated Press reports one of its photographers witnessed several federal agents arresting a car full of activists at gunpoint Tuesday morning in south Minneapolis.—
Conor Wight,
CBS News,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Mist causing low visibility stopped training in the women's downhill skiing training session this morning, delaying Team USA's Lindsey Vonn's return to the slopes after suffering an ACL injury that threatened to keep her out of these Games altogether.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
6 Feb. 2026
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The sheriff leading the investigation into the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie acknowledged that missteps were made in the case’s early hours, including removing crime scene tape and delaying requests for assistance from outside law enforcement agencies.—
Stepheny Price , Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Cellphone footage provided by the North Hills United Methodist Church showed armed agents who appeared to be performing an immigration enforcement operation chasing and eventually apprehending Chavez in the parking lot.—
Austin Turner,
CBS News,
2 Feb. 2026
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The federal statute authorizes law enforcement agencies to aid Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating, apprehending and detaining people in the country illegally.—
Richard Ruelas,
AZCentral.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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China is seizing an opportunity to challenge American dominance in global finance and exert greater international influence at the expense of the all-powerful US dollar.—
Stephanie Yang,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
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Allegations include entering homes without warrants, stopping, intimidating and seizing legal observers, and detaining suspects by virtue of their appearance or accent.—
Yohuru Williams,
The Conversation,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Detaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detaining. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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