detainments

plural of detainment
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2

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 detainments However, detainments by federal agents have continued in the area. Sabrina Franza, CBS News, 7 Sep. 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 Immigration sweeps peaked in Orange County’s most populous city last summer with at least 30 detainments between mid-June and mid-September, including when federal officers descended several times on car washes and a Home Depot, ending in several deportations. Victoria Le, Oc Register, 14 Apr. 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 Kim is the executive director of Minnesota Voice, a progressive nonprofit dedicated to voter registration, civic engagement and training community organizers, and took a visible role organizing against Immigration end Customs Enforcement detainments during Operation Metro Surge. Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 4 Mar. 2026 The singer’s tour stop in Minnesota doubled as a benefit concert for Minneapolis nonprofit The Advocates for Human Rights, which has been working to support families affected by ICE’s arrests, detainments and deportations in the city. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 23 Feb. 2026 Many of the students who have participated in school walkouts have cited deep personal concerns about how ICE's operations could result in wrongful detainments or violence in their communities. Cate Charron, IndyStar, 19 Feb. 2026 The Lawrence Police Department did not confirm the detainments. Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 17 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detainments
Noun
  • Amid the delays and setbacks, simply opening the museum may feel like a victory to its founders.
    Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2026
  • When unexpected delays crop up, even presidents have to wait.
    Janay Kingsberry, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • After this, there will be a lot of going back and forth across the Channel; crimes of the aristocracy; Darnay’s own Big Secret revealed; more trials, more imprisonments.
    Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • More people know about arbitrary arrests and imprisonments.
    Nick Miller, New York Times, 30 May 2026
Noun
  • The process, which recycles optical glass waste product, is a visceral and sensory practice, and speed and movement are key—malleable molten glass waits for no one.
    Clare Coulson, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Another common argument is that single-payer systems are inherently inefficient, as evidenced ostensibly by long waits for treatment suffered by patients in single-payer countries such as Canada.
    Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Operation Midway Blitz saw a significant rise in the average daily number of detentions.
    Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Noun
  • Part of the Measure J mandate passed by voters in 2020 is to reduce incarcerations by adding more interdictions by substance abuse and mental health counselors, when there’s no weapon involved or violent threat.
    Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • One 2025 study found that these waivers may be tied to fewer hospitalizations, emergency department visits, and incarcerations among adults with serious mental illness.
    Helen Santoro, Denver Post, 29 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Detainments.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detainments. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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