1
as in delay
an instance or period of being prevented from going about one's business
the returning vacationers' detainment at the border only lasted a few minutes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in detention
the state of being held in lawful custody
she'll be kept in detainment until the trial if she can't post bail
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of detainment
Chicagoans blew whistles and filmed detainments while immigration agents patrolled neighborhoods with military-grade weapons as part of Operation Midway Blitz.
—
Alex Poppe, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026
Deputies said Appleberry resisted arrest and later spit blood on medical personnel as he was being treated in detainment.
—Sacbee.com, 8 June 2026
The detainments would also be very temporary, would only be during the building's office hours, and no one would be detained overnight.
—Dennis Valera, CBS News, 3 June 2026
Marrero said his husband’s identification was taken during his detainment and was not returned.
—Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 6 May 2026
Anxiety is high among stadium workers, who are concerned about the threat of ICE detainment, regardless of their immigration status.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
Juan and Donovan’s relationship was interrupted by his detainment early on, so their evidence wasn’t as easy.
—Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 26 Apr. 2026
Schlenker says the initial detainment has turned into a months-long legal battle overseas and there is no clear sign of returning home.
—Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
Among them are fears of border detainment and gun violence.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2026
Alex Poppe, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026
Deputies said Appleberry resisted arrest and later spit blood on medical personnel as he was being treated in detainment.
—Sacbee.com, 8 June 2026
The detainments would also be very temporary, would only be during the building's office hours, and no one would be detained overnight.
—Dennis Valera, CBS News, 3 June 2026
Marrero said his husband’s identification was taken during his detainment and was not returned.
—Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 6 May 2026
Anxiety is high among stadium workers, who are concerned about the threat of ICE detainment, regardless of their immigration status.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
Juan and Donovan’s relationship was interrupted by his detainment early on, so their evidence wasn’t as easy.
—Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 26 Apr. 2026
Schlenker says the initial detainment has turned into a months-long legal battle overseas and there is no clear sign of returning home.
—Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
Among them are fears of border detainment and gun violence.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detainment
Noun
-
Follow evacuation instructions without delay.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 June 2026
-
But with just a 60-day window to finalize a deal, any delay leaves less time to negotiate peace.—
Nic Robertson,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Overstreet said once it’s completed, the modular jail will be used until a permanent detention and rehabilitation center is built in the city.—
Dylan Lysen
June 16,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
For anyone with a non-Pixel Android phone, the wait will be much longer.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
16 June 2026
-
The wait ended at Frost Bank Center, where the Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs, 94-90, in Game 5 of the NBA Finals and won their first championship since 1973.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
That sense of spiritual imprisonment may have another explanation.—
Sam Bodrojan,
IndieWire,
17 June 2026
-
The coup ended with the slaughter or imprisonment of most of its participants.—
Ben Taub,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
In October, his children made heartfelt pleas to a New York federal judge to see their father released from federal lockup after more than a year of incarceration.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
16 June 2026
-
Expanding treatment courts would increase access to care, reduce unnecessary incarceration, and create pathways to recovery and stability.—
Justyna Rzewinski,
New York Daily News,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Detainment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detainment. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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