1
as in imprisonments
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 delays
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 detentions
The detentions come after a handful of other arrests months earlier, but Fúnez has long been pinpointed by local environmental and religious leaders as the man who spearheaded the assassination.
—
Marlon González, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
Santiago said the detentions are a sign that their fight for justice and to protect the surrounding lands was worth it, despite the bloody toll.
—ABC News, 12 May 2026
But witnesses appearing before the court said the closure has done little to halt abuses, arguing that torture operations and arbitrary detentions have simply been transferred to other military and intelligence facilities across the country.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 11 May 2026
Frost, citing data from ICE directly, said about 80% of detentions in Florida come from traffic stops.
—Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 May 2026
The startling scale of detentions made Israel the third-worst jailer of journalists for 2025, behind only China and Myanmar, according to CPJ.
—Jeremy Diamond, CNN Money, 9 May 2026
Notable incidents include arrests near a school in Encinitas, agents shattering the windows of an Oceanside home during an early morning raid and detentions of ride-share drivers near Camp Pendleton.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Tolbert wrote that officers may ask about immigration status during lawful detentions or arrests, work with federal immigration authorities, and share immigration‑status information.
—Doug Myers, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
Legal cases related to immigration detentions have swamped federal courts in California’s Central Valley, with nearly 1,000 new petitions filed each month so far this year.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Marlon González, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
Santiago said the detentions are a sign that their fight for justice and to protect the surrounding lands was worth it, despite the bloody toll.
—ABC News, 12 May 2026
But witnesses appearing before the court said the closure has done little to halt abuses, arguing that torture operations and arbitrary detentions have simply been transferred to other military and intelligence facilities across the country.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 11 May 2026
Frost, citing data from ICE directly, said about 80% of detentions in Florida come from traffic stops.
—Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 May 2026
The startling scale of detentions made Israel the third-worst jailer of journalists for 2025, behind only China and Myanmar, according to CPJ.
—Jeremy Diamond, CNN Money, 9 May 2026
Notable incidents include arrests near a school in Encinitas, agents shattering the windows of an Oceanside home during an early morning raid and detentions of ride-share drivers near Camp Pendleton.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Tolbert wrote that officers may ask about immigration status during lawful detentions or arrests, work with federal immigration authorities, and share immigration‑status information.
—Doug Myers, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
Legal cases related to immigration detentions have swamped federal courts in California’s Central Valley, with nearly 1,000 new petitions filed each month so far this year.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detentions
Noun
-
Darling pointed to recent high profile imprisonments of Baha’i cousins Peyvand Naimi and Borna Naimi, who have undergone torture to force confessions and face possible death sentences.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
1 May 2026
-
In Acts, the disciple Paul endures several imprisonments, turning to God for strength and divine intervention.—
Emiliano Tahui Gómez,
Austin American Statesman,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The rest of the production had been much harder—particularly because, to his frustration, he’d been forced to film primarily in Atlanta rather than in Oakland, after a year of maddening delays led to the production losing its California tax rebate.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
-
And the bus agency will stage buses to handle potential overflow crowds or delays on the streetcar, among other improvements through the Kansas City Area Transit Authority (KCATA) during the World Cup.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
Once a technically complicated legal rarity used to challenge improper incarcerations, habeas corpus petitions have become the predominant avenue for immigrants seeking release from detentions that increasingly end only with a deportation order.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Despite their felony convictions and impending incarcerations, both former Met police career criminals continue to collect their monthly kisses in the mail — $8,850 a month for Cederquist and $6,020 for Butner.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
4 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The study examined more than 140,000 reviews from 147 DMVs across 30 major cities, the report says, looking for keywords related to long waits and bad service in reviews with three or fewer stars.—
Eva Flowe
May 12,
Charlotte Observer,
12 May 2026
-
And while many potential riders who spoke with The Times this week echoed that enthusiasm, most also mentioned some reservations, including feeling cautious about potentially long waits at night or ongoing concerns about public safety.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Detentions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detentions. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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