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

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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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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

That delay is reportedly due to the model’s coding capabilities, in particular, were short of internal expectations.

— Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 17 July 2026
Odysseus even implies that his delay in getting home might have as much to do with a guilty conscience as with intervening gods or the enchanting sorceress named Calypso.

— Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026

Definition of delay

Noun

Amid the confinement and the sadness of being away from his family, soccer allowed Ayón to forge great friendships like the one with Andrade, who spent a year and a half in immigration detention at the same center, McFarland’s Central Valley Annex.

— Albinson Linares, NBC news, 18 July 2026
Federal authorities have subjected record numbers of immigrants to mandatory detention, including in inhuman and degrading conditions, while gutting internal oversight mechanisms.

— Minky Worden, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of detention

Noun

The wait is finally over—Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale is officially live, and the deals are already Black Friday-level good.

— Julia Morlino, Travel + Leisure, 18 July 2026
But again, since Christopher Nolan’s films don’t follow the streaming release strategy that most other Universal films do, Peacock subscribers are in for a longer wait than usual before the film makes its SVOD on the platform.

— Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of wait

Noun

Violating the ban on tattooing the head, face or neck is a misdemeanor offense under state law that carries penalties of a fine of up to $2,500 and/or imprisonment for up to one year if convicted.

— BrieAnna J. Frank, USA Today, 17 July 2026
After his conviction was vacated, Broadwater sued the state of New York for wrongful imprisonment.

— Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica, 17 July 2026

Definition of imprisonment

Noun

Homelessness after incarceration increases the chances that someone will end up back behind bars, at a steep cost to taxpayers.

— Amber Gaudet July 18, Charlotte Observer, 18 July 2026
Ayón works in Sacramento helping people reintegrate to society after incarceration and is also a student at a community college.

— Albinson Linares, NBC news, 18 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 21 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of detainment

noun

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