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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of detaining
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
The attacks paralyzed Davis as authorities searched for a suspect before detaining and arresting a disheveled Dominguez in May, days after the first fatal attack.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 23 May 2026
On Monday, a federal judge in the Southern District of New York barred ICE agents from detaining people who show up for proceedings in New York City's immigration courts, with the order specifically banning action at 26 Federal Plaza, 201 Varick Street, and 290 Broadway.
—Allen Devlin, CBS News, 20 May 2026
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
The attacks paralyzed Davis as authorities searched for a suspect before detaining and arresting a disheveled Dominguez in May, days after the first fatal attack.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 23 May 2026
On Monday, a federal judge in the Southern District of New York barred ICE agents from detaining people who show up for proceedings in New York City's immigration courts, with the order specifically banning action at 26 Federal Plaza, 201 Varick Street, and 290 Broadway.
—Allen Devlin, CBS News, 20 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detaining
Verb
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After all, the name Polly Adler is known in and of itself, and arresting me for pandering is a feather in the cap for any cop or assistant district attorney.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
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Police responded to a call for battery/domestic violence at a residence in West Hills prior to arresting Jackson.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
9 June 2026
Verb
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If there are no seats, there’ll be no place to put sick passengers and the train will have to stay in the station, delaying the system.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
12 June 2026
-
From stunting and weakening plant growth to delaying flower production, these 1/10th-inch-long pests can wreak havoc.—
Abby Monteil,
The Spruce,
12 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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He’s drawn to attempting to achieve things that his predecessors could not, including seizing territory for the United States (Greenland, for sure, but maybe Canada, too) and toppling antagonistic regimes (Venezuela, Iran, possibly Cuba).—
Jonathan Lemire,
The Atlantic,
12 June 2026
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The Scarborough Shoal, known in the Philippines as Bajo de Masinloc and in China as Huangyan Dao, sits within Manila's exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea, but Beijing has maintained a near-constant presence around the shoal after seizing de facto control in a tense 2012 standoff.—
James LaPorta,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Detaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detaining. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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