1
as in imprisonment
the state of being held in lawful custody
he's been in detention since the arrest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in delay
an instance or period of being prevented from going about one's business
the detention at the airport security checkpoint was brief, but because he was running late, it caused him to miss his flight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of detention
The administration appeared to be moving forward with those plans as recently as Wednesday, when migrants believed to be bound for Libya sat for hours on a bus before abruptly being returned to a detention facility.
—
Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 13 May 2025
The deal came amid the Trump administration's plans to increase the number of detention beds nationwide from a budget of 41,000 beds, according to NBC New York and the AP.
—Charmaine Patterson, People.com, 10 May 2025
Trump wants to deport 1 million people annually, a dramatic increase requiring a vast, sophisticated and expensive targeting, detention and removal operation.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 3 May 2025
On the night of April 21, Kling picked up his friends and then took multiple wooden pallets, which were outside of a recycling center, and drove to a wooded area, prosecutors said at Kling's detention hearing Friday.
—Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for detention
Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 13 May 2025
The deal came amid the Trump administration's plans to increase the number of detention beds nationwide from a budget of 41,000 beds, according to NBC New York and the AP.
—Charmaine Patterson, People.com, 10 May 2025
Trump wants to deport 1 million people annually, a dramatic increase requiring a vast, sophisticated and expensive targeting, detention and removal operation.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 3 May 2025
On the night of April 21, Kling picked up his friends and then took multiple wooden pallets, which were outside of a recycling center, and drove to a wooded area, prosecutors said at Kling's detention hearing Friday.
—Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for detention
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detention
Noun
-
After months of delays, a resentencing hearing to determine whether the Menendez brothers should be released from prison after serving more than three decades is set to begin Tuesday.—
Jane Onyanga-Omara,
USA Today,
14 May 2025
-
However, the case has been marked by a series of delays after his first trial ended in a hung jury.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
13 May 2025
Noun
-
Mothers in lockup have a different experience compared to those who aren’t behind bars, as incarceration can impact the emotional, physical, and psychological well-being of the mom and her baby, but luckily, programs of support are being established in jails, like Rikers Island’s Doula Program.—
Dominique Fluker,
Essence,
10 May 2025
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Before the event, Serna said the goal was to make sure that women in custody know about the resources available to them both in the jail and after release to help break the cycle of incarceration.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 May 2025
Noun
-
Residents calling the department’s Medicaid call center during 2023 had average wait times of 32 minutes.—
Christopher O’Donnell,
Miami Herald,
17 May 2025
-
However, like anything extraordinary, their team believes that the Ultra 2 is worth the wait.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
16 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Detention.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detention. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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