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
His detainment followed interim President Delcy Rodríguez’s decision to elevate the agency’s longtime chief to defense minister.
—
Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 26 Mar. 2026
Coggins continued by retelling the details of Estrada Juarez’s detainment and deportation, which involved her voluntarily showing up to a green card appointment with her daughter.
—Mathew Miranda
updated March 24, Sacbee.com, 24 Mar. 2026
Since his detainment, Maria said that she's been terrified of leaving the home.
—Conor Wight, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
The Parker County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with the Weatherford Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Criminal Investigations Division, executed a search warrant for Catron’s residence following his detainment.
—Tanya Babbar, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Mar. 2026
The Department of Homeland Security posted about the detainment on X, saying ICE agents had arrested Angelina Lopez-Jimenez and Wendy Godinez-Lopez at San Francisco International Airport.
—Noe Padilla, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026
Rubio, a data analyst, still has a separate habeas corpus case contesting his detainment, meaning he won’t be immediately deported.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 18 Mar. 2026
Hefets’ detainments were part of a national policy toward antisemitism, defined over decades in the shadow of the Holocaust and sharpened recently under the helm of Felix Klein, the first federal commissioner for combating antisemitism.
—Shira Li Bartov, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
Other community members support ICE’s detainment of immigrants who do not have documentation as they are released from jail.
—Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2026
Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 26 Mar. 2026
Coggins continued by retelling the details of Estrada Juarez’s detainment and deportation, which involved her voluntarily showing up to a green card appointment with her daughter.
—Mathew Miranda
updated March 24, Sacbee.com, 24 Mar. 2026
Since his detainment, Maria said that she's been terrified of leaving the home.
—Conor Wight, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
The Parker County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with the Weatherford Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Criminal Investigations Division, executed a search warrant for Catron’s residence following his detainment.
—Tanya Babbar, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Mar. 2026
The Department of Homeland Security posted about the detainment on X, saying ICE agents had arrested Angelina Lopez-Jimenez and Wendy Godinez-Lopez at San Francisco International Airport.
—Noe Padilla, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026
Rubio, a data analyst, still has a separate habeas corpus case contesting his detainment, meaning he won’t be immediately deported.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 18 Mar. 2026
Hefets’ detainments were part of a national policy toward antisemitism, defined over decades in the shadow of the Holocaust and sharpened recently under the helm of Felix Klein, the first federal commissioner for combating antisemitism.
—Shira Li Bartov, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
Other community members support ICE’s detainment of immigrants who do not have documentation as they are released from jail.
—Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detainment
Noun
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This time, however, travelers are already facing long lines and delays due to the ongoing partial government shutdown, which has left thousands of TSA workers without pay.—
De'Anthony Taylor,
Baltimore Sun,
28 Mar. 2026
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If there had been even a 30-second delay, Wilson might be alive, Pastor Ronald Blackwood told Wilson’s family and friends last Saturday at his funeral service at the Star of David Funeral Chapel in North Lauderdale.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But detainees inside the Adelanto facility who called the Immigrant Defenders rapid response hotline alleged that medical staff didn’t respond until after Ramos was unresponsive and that Ramos died inside the immigration detention facility, said an Immigrant Defenders spokesperson.—
Ryanne Mena,
Daily News,
31 Mar. 2026
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The data shows another 130 detentions during a three-day December surge when then-Border Patrol Cmdr.—
Joe Mahr,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The service From the valets to the front desk, the wait staff to the receptionist at the spa, the service was consistently warm and responsive without being uptight.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
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For the space fans who plan to watch the Artemis II launch, the wait for countdown may feel long.—
Emily A. Margolis,
The Conversation,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Dog theft is considered a criminal offense in China, with potential fines or imprisonment depending on the animal’s value.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Dog Theft and the Law in China Dog theft is considered a criminal offense in China, with potential fines or imprisonment depending on the animal’s value.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
An error in a legal brief could lead to an innocent person’s incarceration.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
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The 1991 movie stars Nick Nolte as Sam Bowden, the one-time public defender who Cady haunts, blaming his long prison incarceration for rape on purposefully faulty defense tactics.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Detainment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detainment. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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