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 However, detainments by federal agents have continued in the area. — Sabrina Franza, CBS News, 7 Sep. 2026 Hernandez’s lawyer declined to comment Thursday on his detainment. — Martin Goillandeau, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026 Reporters from Noozhawk and KEYT were among those detained, and both outlets published articles detailing the detainment. — ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026 The legislation came after Lee, Deluzio and Dean conducted visits to Moshannon Valley Processing Facility earlier this year, the Northeast's largest immigration detainment facility. — Finch Walker, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026 Xinjiang is home to many Uyghurs, a Muslim minority that the Chinese government has subjected to surveillance, forced labor and detainment in concentration camps. — Hailey Wang, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026 In June, Brittney and Cherelle opened up to PEOPLE about how Brittney’s detainment derailed their plans of starting a family. — Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 31 July 2026 Forbes removed Prince Alwaleed from its billionaire ranks in 2018 following his monthslong detainment by the Saudi government in 2017, before he and other Saudis were included again in 2025. — Ty Roush, Forbes.com, 28 July 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for detainment

Noun

Patience is the ability to remain calm and accept delays, difficulties, or annoyance without complaining or becoming angry.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026
But last year, there were 71,500 school bus delays, with nearly 100 families filing complaints each day, according to Councilman Lincoln Restler (D-Brooklyn), whose office drafted a recent bill on the issue.

— Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of delay

Noun

Vucic has pushed hard against the protesters as the government faced international criticism over police violence and arbitrary detentions of demonstrators.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026
Advocates say the delays leave people waiting in prisonlike detention facilities.

— Carla Astudillo, ProPublica, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of detention

Noun

Home shoppers holding out for relief from rising mortgage rates may be in for a long wait.

— Alex Veiga, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
In Florence, locals will bemoan the lines at All'Antico Vinaio, because there are so many other incredible focaccia sandwich shops around that don't require a wait.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of wait

Noun

Indecent exposure to a minor under the age of 15 is also a Class 6 felony, resulting in a Class 6 felony as well, which is a far more serious crime resulting in imprisonment in state or federal prison.

— Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 1 Sep. 2026
During her imprisonment, Stötzer refused to leave the GDR for West Germany under the Häftlingsfreikauf program, which offered ransoms for political prisoners.

— Elisa R. Linn, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of imprisonment

Noun

That, and the at-arm’s-length care of the staff (who are sometimes comedically cold), makes existence within the ward feel like a close cousin to incarceration.

— Miriam Balanescu, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2026
For generations, the women sustain a world of warmth and care amid what Fleetwood calls a family curse, as the men’s lives are beset by mass incarceration and rampant gun violence.

— Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of incarceration

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detaining

detainment

detainments

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“Detainment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detainment. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of detainment

noun

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