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
Some media outlets, however, reported that some of those detained were politicians or activists, leading to allegations of arbitrary detentions.
—
ABC News,
23 June 2026
Immigration authorities say the detentions of a Somali referee and two Iraqi national team members were part of routine vetting.
—
Sammy Westfall,
Washington Post,
9 June 2026
Of those, 16 were classified as immigration detentions, while the remaining 34 were based on local or state criminal charges.
—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2026
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
ABC News,
23 June 2026
Immigration authorities say the detentions of a Somali referee and two Iraqi national team members were part of routine vetting.
—
Sammy Westfall,
Washington Post,
9 June 2026
Of those, 16 were classified as immigration detentions, while the remaining 34 were based on local or state criminal charges.
—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detentions
Noun
-
More people know about arbitrary arrests and imprisonments.
-
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.
Noun
-
Common travel problems include flight delays, lost luggage, and unexpected hotel issues.
-
Local media reported the clashes erupted because of frustrations over the delays in the migrants' returning home.
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.
-
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.
Noun
-
Powell said China has such operations lined up and planned well in advance and waits for such triggering events.
-
At its core, Megawheels believes that children should not be stuck on the sidelines while the outdoors waits.
Cite this Entry
“Detentions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detentions. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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