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
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
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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Neighbors are now living in fear, looking on as ICE apprehends people of color across Minnesota.—
Jason Rantala,
CBS News,
19 Jan. 2026
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The team successfully seizes two tons of gold and apprehends the leader of the criminal network.—
Isabella Wandermurem,
Time,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Defenses applied the same concepts, too, emphasizing full-court pressure, which delays the opposing attack.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2026
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The order specifically delays a 30% duty on upholstered furniture and 50% levy on kitchen cabinets and vanities, keeping in place a 25% tariff on those goods that was imposed back in September.—
Sean Conlon,Fred Imbert,
CNBC,
2 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Bascombe is the one who arrests Jamie Miller (Cooper) under suspicion of murder.—
Yamillah Hurtado,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
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Police officer Hugo Crussi (Vogrincic) traces the voice to a young preacher, Jonas Flores (Zurita), and arrests him.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Soon after, its heart rate slows from around 200 beats per minute to fewer than ten.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
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The governor’s budget slows down increases in spending in areas such as higher education.—
Jean Marbella,
Baltimore Sun,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Season 2 also seizes on an obvious opportunity.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
21 Jan. 2026
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The team successfully seizes two tons of gold and apprehends the leader of the criminal network.—
Isabella Wandermurem,
Time,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Detains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detains. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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