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
Witnesses Say Victims Were Trapped Witnesses also described officers detaining the driver.
—
Doug Myers, CBS News, 19 June 2026
Padilla’s plan would eliminate the detention of families and would also require DHS to prove someone’s level of criminal threat and conviction history before using it as justification for detaining them.
—Evelyn Ronan, Sacbee.com, 16 June 2026
Even though this new policy ran counter to the way the rules for arresting and detaining noncitizens had been enforced for decades prior, ICE immediately began operating accordingly.
—Tasha Carvell, Twin Cities, 8 June 2026
Members of Immigration and Customs Enforcement will be staffed in Los Angeles during the World Cup but will not be actively detaining foreign travelers, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said this week.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 3 June 2026
As instability rose, the administration reverted to strict state control, detaining opposition figures and journalists while delaying elections.
—Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 31 May 2026
Sanctuary laws prohibit local police from notifying federal immigration agents about undocumented immigrants and detaining them beyond release dates for transfer to immigration detention facilities or deportation.
—Bruce Finley, Denver Post, 29 May 2026
On June 6, 2025, federal agents raided a downtown garment business, detaining workers and arresting labor leader David Huerta, head of Service Employees International Union California.
—Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026
Behind the story One of the really big stories on my beat covering China for the last decade has been Beijing's intensive ramp-up in detaining and persecuting Uyghurs, a primarily Muslim ethnic minority.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 26 May 2026
Doug Myers, CBS News, 19 June 2026
Padilla’s plan would eliminate the detention of families and would also require DHS to prove someone’s level of criminal threat and conviction history before using it as justification for detaining them.
—Evelyn Ronan, Sacbee.com, 16 June 2026
Even though this new policy ran counter to the way the rules for arresting and detaining noncitizens had been enforced for decades prior, ICE immediately began operating accordingly.
—Tasha Carvell, Twin Cities, 8 June 2026
Members of Immigration and Customs Enforcement will be staffed in Los Angeles during the World Cup but will not be actively detaining foreign travelers, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said this week.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 3 June 2026
As instability rose, the administration reverted to strict state control, detaining opposition figures and journalists while delaying elections.
—Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 31 May 2026
Sanctuary laws prohibit local police from notifying federal immigration agents about undocumented immigrants and detaining them beyond release dates for transfer to immigration detention facilities or deportation.
—Bruce Finley, Denver Post, 29 May 2026
On June 6, 2025, federal agents raided a downtown garment business, detaining workers and arresting labor leader David Huerta, head of Service Employees International Union California.
—Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026
Behind the story One of the really big stories on my beat covering China for the last decade has been Beijing's intensive ramp-up in detaining and persecuting Uyghurs, a primarily Muslim ethnic minority.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 26 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detaining
Verb
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Despite the agency's aggressive tactics to accomplish this — including arresting immigrants inside immigration courts — the quota was never met.—
Sergio Martínez-Beltrán,
NPR,
15 June 2026
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Video posted online showed police arresting a woman who had climbed atop an Amazon vehicle near MSG.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
14 June 2026
Verb
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And while research shows that exercise supports healthy sleep by regulating body temperature, mood, metabolism and circadian rhythm, Weiner cautions that exercising too close to bedtime can interfere with sleep by delaying sleep onset, shortening sleep duration and lowering overall sleep quality.—
Sharon Brandwein,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
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The remaining providers are stretched thin, and patients are traveling farther for care — often delaying prenatal visits or arriving in labor without adequate support.—
Jocelyn Mitchell-Williams,
STAT,
19 June 2026
Verb
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Police posted video of the raid on social media, showing officers collecting evidence at the scene and apprehending the suspect.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
13 June 2026
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The Nodaway County Sheriff’s Office, United States Marshals Service and New Mexico State Police assisted in apprehending Jones, Hann said.—
Caroline Zimmerman
May 28,
Kansas City Star,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Hezbollah and Israel went to war shortly after the outbreak of the wider conflict, with Hezbollah firing rockets and drones at civilian communities in northern Israel and Israel seizing large swaths of southern Lebanon.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
20 June 2026
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Federal immigration agents were seizing people across the city.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Detaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detaining. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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