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
Amid the fear and acts of solidarity, the city announced a $100,000 emergency assistance fund to help households affected by the detentions pay rent and utility bills.
—
Yuliana Montiel, Charlotte Observer, 29 May 2026
More recently, Morello joined demonstrations outside Manhattan’s immigration court at 26 Federal Plaza alongside the organization Hands Off NYC, protesting ICE policies and detentions.
—Spin Staff, SPIN, 29 May 2026
Beijing would occasionally cite the presence of Uyghur militants in Syria and Afghanistan as justification for these detentions.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 26 May 2026
From post-9/11 terrorism suspects and more recent ICE detentions, this old Latin phrase is never far from current events.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 25 May 2026
Beyond the deportations and detentions, the economic toll throughout Chicagoland was immediate.
—Jack O'Connor, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2026
For Gallo, those detentions show Venezuela’s repressive system remains intact.
—ABC News, 22 May 2026
During the border security conference this month, the head of Customs and Border Protection, Rodney Scott, was asked about ProPublica’s reporting on citizens’ detentions and how the agency is addressing them.
—Nicole Foy, ProPublica, 15 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.
—Marlon González, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
Yuliana Montiel, Charlotte Observer, 29 May 2026
More recently, Morello joined demonstrations outside Manhattan’s immigration court at 26 Federal Plaza alongside the organization Hands Off NYC, protesting ICE policies and detentions.
—Spin Staff, SPIN, 29 May 2026
Beijing would occasionally cite the presence of Uyghur militants in Syria and Afghanistan as justification for these detentions.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 26 May 2026
From post-9/11 terrorism suspects and more recent ICE detentions, this old Latin phrase is never far from current events.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 25 May 2026
Beyond the deportations and detentions, the economic toll throughout Chicagoland was immediate.
—Jack O'Connor, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2026
For Gallo, those detentions show Venezuela’s repressive system remains intact.
—ABC News, 22 May 2026
During the border security conference this month, the head of Customs and Border Protection, Rodney Scott, was asked about ProPublica’s reporting on citizens’ detentions and how the agency is addressing them.
—Nicole Foy, ProPublica, 15 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.
—Marlon González, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 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
-
Emergency physicians do not control inpatient staffing, discharge bottlenecks, rehabilitation placement delays, or bed availability, yet emergency departments absorb the consequences when hospitals operate beyond capacity.—
Letters to the Editor,
Hartford Courant,
6 June 2026
-
Another project will cause intermittent traffic breaks near Boca during the day Tuesday through Thursday, causing motorists to undergo delays of up to 30 minutes.—
Corey Schmidt,
Sacbee.com,
6 June 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
-
Visitors can make a free same-day reservation for shorter entry waits or wait in a typically longer standby line.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
-
Unsurprisingly, sci-fi and fantasy titles that require considerable VFX work tend to be the shows that have the longest waits.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Detentions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detentions. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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