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
Hundreds of agents swarmed apartments in the multi-story building, detaining several American citizens, including children, for hours and netting 37 total arrests.
—
Michael Loria, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
Videos circulating on social media show Border Patrol detaining individuals at various locations, including Washington Street and Green Bay Road, a Dunkin’ Donuts on Grand Avenue, and Rubi’s Bakery in Waukegan, according to Lake & McHenry County Scanner.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
According to videos, officers waited roughly 20 seconds before detaining people.
—Quinlan Bentley, Cincinnati Enquirer, 2 Oct. 2025
The photographers were allegedly rushing to snap pictures of agents detaining migrants, per WNYC.
—Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
As one agent holds Shouhed down, the other is seen bringing out handcuffs before a third agent joins them in detaining Shouhed.
—Julia Marnin, Sacbee.com, 26 Sep. 2025
The mission emphasized that detaining adolescents under such conditions amounts to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2025
Manufacturing talent has been spotlighted in recent weeks after Immigration and Customs Enforcement raided an LG-Hyundai factory in Georgia earlier this month, detaining several hundred Korean workers.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 17 Sep. 2025
Federal agents last week carried out the largest single-site immigration raid in Homeland Security’s history at LG Energy Solution’s joint battery facility with Hyundai Motor in Georgia, detaining 475 workers — more than 300 of them South Korean nationals.
—Stuart Dyos, Nashville Tennessean, 12 Sep. 2025
Michael Loria, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
Videos circulating on social media show Border Patrol detaining individuals at various locations, including Washington Street and Green Bay Road, a Dunkin’ Donuts on Grand Avenue, and Rubi’s Bakery in Waukegan, according to Lake & McHenry County Scanner.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
According to videos, officers waited roughly 20 seconds before detaining people.
—Quinlan Bentley, Cincinnati Enquirer, 2 Oct. 2025
The photographers were allegedly rushing to snap pictures of agents detaining migrants, per WNYC.
—Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
As one agent holds Shouhed down, the other is seen bringing out handcuffs before a third agent joins them in detaining Shouhed.
—Julia Marnin, Sacbee.com, 26 Sep. 2025
The mission emphasized that detaining adolescents under such conditions amounts to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2025
Manufacturing talent has been spotlighted in recent weeks after Immigration and Customs Enforcement raided an LG-Hyundai factory in Georgia earlier this month, detaining several hundred Korean workers.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 17 Sep. 2025
Federal agents last week carried out the largest single-site immigration raid in Homeland Security’s history at LG Energy Solution’s joint battery facility with Hyundai Motor in Georgia, detaining 475 workers — more than 300 of them South Korean nationals.
—Stuart Dyos, Nashville Tennessean, 12 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detaining
Verb
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The video concludes with the music, blending heritage and innovation into one visually arresting finale.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Oct. 2025
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When the photographer Mary Ellen Mark arrived in New York City, in 1966, one of her strategies for finding arresting images was to attend parades and other large gatherings, seeking out subjects not in the main flow of the action but on the periphery.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The federal government shut down Wednesday, delaying pay for federal workers (of whom there are 25,000 in Indiana), placing question marks on the financial health of federal aid programs like SNAP and WIC, and causing mass confusion and limbo in immigration court.—
Kayla Dwyer,
IndyStar,
3 Oct. 2025
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Staffing challenges – either at the local level, at the federal level or both – also could play a significant role in delaying interactions between the CDC and local health departments.—
Jacqueline Howard,
CNN Money,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The swift police response and use of video surveillance technology proved crucial in identifying and apprehending the shooter.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Sep. 2025
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But also on board the ship that night is this detective who is charged with apprehending Providence.—
Olivia Petty,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The American withdrawal from Iraq in 2011 created the vacuum into which Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi marched, declaring a caliphate and seizing territory the size of Britain.—
Aviva Klompas,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
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The ultra-orthodox group, with their leader Eretz Zakay, had a long history of illegally seizing Palestinian property across Jerusalem.—
Ryan Byrnes,
Literary Hub,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Detaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detaining. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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