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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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of detaining
In a series of filings on Friday, administration officials asked a judge to dissolve a preliminary injunction that bars them from re-detaining Abrego Garcia and deporting him.
—
Laura Romero, ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026
The company’s federal contracts related to transporting, detaining, monitoring and deporting undocumented immigrants already totaled more than $1 billion per year.
—David Hickey, NBC news, 19 Mar. 2026
Activists and politicians accused DHS officers of smashing car windows, roughing up bystanders who tried to record their activities and detaining immigrants in squalid conditions.
—Dallas Morning News, 18 Mar. 2026
The regime has been accused of killing thousands of protesters and detaining tens of thousands more during the uprising.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 17 Mar. 2026
Earlier this month, Austin police released a new policy that essentially bans officers from detaining or arresting someone solely based on the presence of an immigration warrant, but does not prevent them from calling the federal agency.
—Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American Statesman, 13 Mar. 2026
The Biden administration stopped detaining immigrant families at the facility, which first started housing families during the Obama administration.
—Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN Money, 13 Mar. 2026
New York’s sanctuary policies prevent local law enforcement from detaining undocumented people for ICE — but there are exceptions for when a person has been convicted of violent offenses, as would be the case if Hernandez is convicted.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 12 Mar. 2026
The facility has come under scrutiny for detaining thousands of minors in what has been described as inhumane conditions.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 11 Mar. 2026
Laura Romero, ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026
The company’s federal contracts related to transporting, detaining, monitoring and deporting undocumented immigrants already totaled more than $1 billion per year.
—David Hickey, NBC news, 19 Mar. 2026
Activists and politicians accused DHS officers of smashing car windows, roughing up bystanders who tried to record their activities and detaining immigrants in squalid conditions.
—Dallas Morning News, 18 Mar. 2026
The regime has been accused of killing thousands of protesters and detaining tens of thousands more during the uprising.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 17 Mar. 2026
Earlier this month, Austin police released a new policy that essentially bans officers from detaining or arresting someone solely based on the presence of an immigration warrant, but does not prevent them from calling the federal agency.
—Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American Statesman, 13 Mar. 2026
The Biden administration stopped detaining immigrant families at the facility, which first started housing families during the Obama administration.
—Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN Money, 13 Mar. 2026
New York’s sanctuary policies prevent local law enforcement from detaining undocumented people for ICE — but there are exceptions for when a person has been convicted of violent offenses, as would be the case if Hernandez is convicted.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 12 Mar. 2026
The facility has come under scrutiny for detaining thousands of minors in what has been described as inhumane conditions.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 11 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detaining
Verb
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The arresting officer wrote that Baird showed multiple signs of intoxication, including a strong odor of alcohol, watery and glassy eyes and difficulty standing without assistance.—
Austin Sanders,
Austin American Statesman,
18 Mar. 2026
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Finding indigenous Iranians who can lead this charge will not be easy, given the regime’s decades of hollowing out the opposition by killing or arresting dissidents with leadership skills.—
Dennis Ross,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The law, called the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, allowed for a single extension delaying the restriction under certain conditions, Warner noted.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
18 Mar. 2026
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Trouble at an Xcel Energy substation caused a power outage lasting about an hour that triggered a Federal Aviation Administration order to ground flights to Denver International Airport on Wednesday morning, leading to darkness and disarray in DIA and delaying thousands of travelers.—
Bruce Finley,
Denver Post,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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An immigration approach that focuses on apprehending dangerous criminals and steers clear of raiding businesses might help the labor market’s loss of workers.—
Matt Peterson,
CNBC,
6 Mar. 2026
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Federal agents have targeted schools and bus stops, apprehending adults and children.—
Daniel Cueto-Villalobos,
The Conversation,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Even after seizing a wanted dictator out of Venezuela and while monitoring an air war in Iran.—
John Scott Lewinski,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
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But seizing it will require more than capital and talent.—
François Candelon,
Fortune,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Detaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detaining. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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