detecting

verb

present participle of detect
as in finding
to come upon after searching, study, or effort I can detect just a hint of lemon in the soup

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 detecting For defense, one potential application could be detecting the presence of chemical warfare agents. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 22 Aug. 2026 Upon detecting a vehicle, the drone can either strike it directly or, more commonly, alert an operator to engage with artillery or another strike drone. — Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026 That could help teams understand what the system is detecting instead of receiving only a warning with little context. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Remarkably, astronomers recently used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to do just that, detecting a clear signature of an atmosphere—the first time this has been achieved for a rocky world. — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 21 Aug. 2026 According to Mason, HeroRats must be 99% accurate in detecting their targets in training to become a full-fledged member of APOPO’s fleet. — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 20 Aug. 2026 Such videos implied that the Trophy system had difficulty detecting incoming small drones. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2026 The system can pull this off by detecting changes in the radio frequency signal between the connected devices and the eligible Xfinity Gateway, which also acts as Wi-Fi router. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 18 Aug. 2026 Initial information from the alarm company mentioned sensors detecting motion. — Michael Abeyta, CBS News, 15 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detecting
  1. finding
  2. learning
  3. discovering
  4. locating
  5. getting
Verb
  • It’s mainly centered on Billie, who is worried about an old Facebook post standing in the way of finding a job.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Elevating a home can take several months, and while this project would foot the entire bill for elevation, the pot of cash does not cover the costs of finding another place to live during construction.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of finding
Verb
  • The list of 500 schools was compiled by the magazine and data research firm Statista, Schools were given a score based on their student outcomes, learning environment and their attractiveness to students.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 27 Aug. 2026
  • How marketing teams are evaluating a provider Teams choosing a partner for this work are learning to ask pointed questions instead of accepting a buzzword.
    — Jason Phillips, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of learning
Verb
  • During the third, Veilleux called 911 shortly after discovering the damage.
    — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 27 Aug. 2026
  • After discovering a book of paintings by Georgia O'Keeffe in a secondhand bookstore, Kusama wrote to the famous artist, asking for advice.
    — Elizabeth Blair, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of discovering
Verb
  • The system is designed to extend cyborg insects’ capabilities beyond simply locating survivors.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The Minneapolis police report outlines the response of more than 150 first responders, detailing their movements and actions throughout the day, including locating the 23-year-old suspect, treating victims and clearing rooms inside the church.
    — Beret Leone, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of locating
Verb
  • Yankees fans might be getting flashbacks of Boone’s defense for Anthony Volpe, who similarly faded into inconsistency after emerging as the apparent heir to the franchise’s shortstop role.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • And with 11 billion tons of freight moved by truck in 2024, the stakes of getting safety right extend far beyond the competition floor.
    — Alice Barlow, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of getting

Browse Nearby Words

detected
detecting
detection
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Detecting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detecting. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All