1
as in apprehends
to take or keep (someone) in confinement by authority of law
Police detained the suspect.
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2
as in delays
to keep (someone or something) from proceeding or progressing
She sent word that she had been unavoidably detained. The plane was detained for hours due to inclement weather.
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Recent Examples of detains
What are your rights if ICE detains you?
—
Laura Daniella Sepulveda, AZCentral.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Independent groups like Human Rights Watch say the Venezuelan government intimidates human rights advocates, arrests and detains protesters and harasses journalists.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 14 Jan. 2026
The Pinault family owns 42 percent of shares in Kering and detains 59 percent of voting rights.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 9 Sep. 2025
The play is set in the real-life town of Lumpkin, whose economy has become reliant on a private prison that detains immigrants.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2025
Laura Daniella Sepulveda, AZCentral.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Independent groups like Human Rights Watch say the Venezuelan government intimidates human rights advocates, arrests and detains protesters and harasses journalists.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 14 Jan. 2026
The Pinault family owns 42 percent of shares in Kering and detains 59 percent of voting rights.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 9 Sep. 2025
The play is set in the real-life town of Lumpkin, whose economy has become reliant on a private prison that detains immigrants.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detains
Verb
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Though the team immediately apprehends a suspect, the Marshals end up taking criticism from both sides.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Neighbors are now living in fear, looking on as ICE apprehends people of color across Minnesota.—
Jason Rantala,
CBS News,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Doctors say the administrative action routinely delays or denies care.—
Ken Alltucker,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
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Nothing says Connecticut meet-cute like bonding over melting ice cream while a boat slowly delays everyone’s plans.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
27 May 2026
Verb
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Keith arrests our thinking, and cons us into suppressing our critical faculties with the same kind of internalized surveillance that philosopher Michel Foucault broke down to describe a prison’s use of the panopticon in Discipline and Punish.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
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Devlin throws a punch at Stone when the chief arrests him for drunken driving.—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The idea is that diversification in trading offerings will help the company keep generating revenue even when trading of spot crypto slows.—
Tanaya Macheel,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
-
Fiber slows digestion and helps reduce rapid rises in blood sugar after meals.—
Brianna Tobritzhofer,
Health,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Trump seizes America’s 250th-birthday spotlight, headlining the Great American State Fair, hosting a UFC bout at the White House and promoting new passports, $250 bills and coins bearing his image.—
Will Weissert,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
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Ellie brings up the salad and seizes the opportunity to take credit for her part in making lunch.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Detains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detains. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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