DETECTION Synonyms: 20 Similar and Opposite Words

detection

noun

di-ˈtek-shən

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

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 detection Part of the reason why liars try to control their body language may be because playing false requires more cognitive effort, says Sharon Leal, a senior research fellow at the University of Portsmouth in England, who studies deception detection. —

Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 26 Feb. 2026 The detection earned him NASA’s medal for exceptional scientific achievement in 2011. —

Frank Landymore, Futurism, 26 Feb. 2026 Others evade intelligence detection entirely. —

Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 26 Feb. 2026 Without improving prevention and early detection tools, about six in 10 women could be diagnosed with hypertension or obesity by 2050, and risk factors could appear in children and teenagers as well, according to the AHA's scientific statement. —

Dr. Takisha Morancy, ABC News, 25 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for detection

Recent Examples of Synonyms for detection

discovery

Noun

Even after three decades of making such discoveries, Del Río said his pulse quickened.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Mar. 2026
Denver District Attorney John Walsh in August vowed to better his office’s practices after judges tossed a handful of cases over discovery violations, and Denver prosecutors last fall found discovery problems with another 750 cases.

— Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 1 Mar. 2026