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
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
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
-
Follow evacuation instructions without delay.
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But with just a 60-day window to finalize a deal, any delay leaves less time to negotiate peace.
Noun
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Noncitizens have testified about similar conditions at supposedly temporary ICE detention facilities around the country.
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The administration pivoted last year to new detention tactics and has made fewer courthouse arrests than earlier this year, according to legal experts.
Noun
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Having ended a 28-year wait to make it here, the duo have not suffered from stage fright.
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Prior authorization saves money for insurers partly by making patients pay a price in wait times and inconvenience, said Miranda Yaver, a University of Pittsburgh health policy researcher studying the technique.
Noun
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Glenn Middleton is facing a maximum of 20 years in prison, plus a minimum of five years imprisonment consecutive if found guilty of other charges.
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Those causes carried timeless moral weight that outlasted Gandhi’s assassination and Mandela’s nearly three decades of imprisonment.
Noun
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In the movie Invictus, Nelson Mandela refers to the poem by the same name as something that sustained him during his 27 years of incarceration.
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Layne’s group has pushed county leaders to fund a continuous drug addiction treatment program, expanding access for those who need it both during and after incarceration.
Cite this Entry
“Detainment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detainment. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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