DETAINMENT Synonyms: 46 Similar and Opposite Words

detainment

noun

Definition of detainment

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of detainment Abu Safiya also had his eyeglasses confiscated during his detainment and since been experiencing vision issues, according to Abbas. — Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 20 June 2026 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 During the 150-day detainment, Dabrio Marrero went from Newark, New Jersey, to Arizona, to Texas, to Alligator Alcatraz in Florida and eventually to Adams County Correctional Center in Natchez, Mississippi, where he was ultimately released on April 23. — 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for detainment

Noun

Paramount would have faced a similar delay, likely pushing any appellate relief into early 2027.

— Todd Spangler, Variety, 25 July 2026
Commuters may expect delays, or opt for different routes using what McCabe expects MoDOT to recommend — I-435, or 85th Street.

— Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 24 July 2026

Definition of delay

Noun

Espinosa said the detention facility’s rural location will put a stranglehold on transparency and communication.

— Noah Vinsky July 25, Charlotte Observer, 26 July 2026
The California Democrat cited the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant as the basis for Netanyahu’s detention, and called on Trump to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin as well.

— Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 25 July 2026

Definition of detention

Noun

Gomez has endured a lengthy list of cruel setbacks during his 11-year Liverpool career and faces a wait to learn the extent of his latest injury.

— James Pearce, New York Times, 26 July 2026
During longer waits for a table—more than 2 hours on some weekends—visitors are encouraged to walk around the property, which is lined with hiking trails and dotted with interpretive displays on the Winnebago people.

— Jess Hoffert, Midwest Living, 26 July 2026

Definition of wait

Noun

In 2023, Ian was convicted of conspiracy to commit cyberstalking, cyberstalking, perjury and obstruction of justice for orchestrating the scheme that led to Hadley’s wrongful imprisonment.

— Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 25 July 2026
Apartheid, political imprisonment, collective resistance and democratic transition belong to a moral and historical scale far beyond an executive transformation program.

— Gerald J. Leonard, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

Definition of imprisonment

Noun

Rather, sentence length produces consequences extending well beyond incarceration itself, influencing institutional placement, programming opportunities, personal safety, and ultimately the prospects for rehabilitation.

— Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
Occhicone has cost Florida taxpayers $850,000 for his incarceration, not taking into account his legal appeals, Tampa television station WTVT has reported.

— Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 24 July 2026

Definition of incarceration

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detainment

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“Detainment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detainment. Accessed 30 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of detainment

noun

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