as in discovery
the act or process of sighting or learning the existence of something for the first time
my detection of the scent of baked apple pie led me to the kitchen
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Recent Examples of detection
After a thorough investigation involving canine detection units, police said no explosive devices were found and the building was clear.
—
Julianna Duennes Russ, Austin American Statesman, 6 Feb. 2026
To manage vegetation, utility companies typically send crews to walk the power lines or fly helicopters periodically to collect information using lidar (light detection and ranging), a technology used to precisely map terrain with high-resolution, three-dimensional images.
—Eric Sullivan, Scientific American, 6 Feb. 2026
Apple has continued to add health features to its devices in recent years — such as sleep-apnea detection and hypertension notifications — but those tools primarily flag potential conditions rather than help users actively manage them.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2026
To further address fraud, Roob said Braun signed an executive order Monday to create an Indiana council on fraud detection and prevention in federal programs that state agencies administer.
—Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for detection
Julianna Duennes Russ, Austin American Statesman, 6 Feb. 2026
To manage vegetation, utility companies typically send crews to walk the power lines or fly helicopters periodically to collect information using lidar (light detection and ranging), a technology used to precisely map terrain with high-resolution, three-dimensional images.
—Eric Sullivan, Scientific American, 6 Feb. 2026
Apple has continued to add health features to its devices in recent years — such as sleep-apnea detection and hypertension notifications — but those tools primarily flag potential conditions rather than help users actively manage them.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2026
To further address fraud, Roob said Braun signed an executive order Monday to create an Indiana council on fraud detection and prevention in federal programs that state agencies administer.
—Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for detection
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detection
discovery
Noun
-
New discoveries always spur unconventional hypotheses; all must be ruled out.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Remains found amid search in Mexico MEXICO CITY -- Mexican authorities on Friday announced the discovery of bodies and remains in the northwestern state of Sinaloa in an area of an ongoing search for 10 missing workers from a Canadian gold and silver mine.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Detection.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detection. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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