1
as in delays
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 imprisonments
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 detainments
Videos of arrests and detainments circulated on social media.
—
Jonathan J. Cooper, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2025
The leadership change comes as CoreCivic and GEO Group - the country's two largest private prison systems - have reported significant profits amid the sharp rise in immigration arrests and detainments.
—Kelly Puente, Nashville Tennessean, 19 Aug. 2025
Jonathan J. Cooper, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2025
The leadership change comes as CoreCivic and GEO Group - the country's two largest private prison systems - have reported significant profits amid the sharp rise in immigration arrests and detainments.
—Kelly Puente, Nashville Tennessean, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detainments
Noun
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On Friday evening, airports in Phoenix, Houston and San Diego were reporting delays because of staffing issues, and the Federal Aviation Administration warned that staffing problems were also possible at airports in the New York area, Dallas and Philadelphia.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
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Advertisement While the commercial supply of goods has improved since the cease-fire deal, the flow of humanitarian aid continues to be marred by bureaucracy, delays, and blockages.—
Anna Halford,
Time,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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First, summertime is by far the busiest season, and because everything is cooked fresh to order, waits can sometimes be long.—
Abby Price,
Southern Living,
22 Oct. 2025
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Staffing challenges and court orders have contributed to long waits for borrowers trying to access a new plan.—
Annie Nova,
CNBC,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Attendees voiced opposition to Trump's immigration detentions, his effort to redraw Indiana's congressional boundaries to favor Republicans and what protesters view as attacks on free speech.—
Tony Cook,
IndyStar,
18 Oct. 2025
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Among the detentions in which allegations have not stuck, masked agents pointed a gun at, pepper sprayed and punched a young man who had filmed them searching for his relative.—
Nicole Foy,
ProPublica,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The incarcerations have been part of Bukele’s controversial efforts to stem the high crime rates and gang violence that have plagued the country for years.—
Michael Rios,
CNN,
17 Mar. 2025
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The Body Politic uplifts Baltimore’s relative success in decreasing the city’s homicide and violent crime rate while not increasing incarcerations or the rate of citizen-police interactions.—
Richard Fowler,
Forbes,
3 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Detainments.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detainments. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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