Synonyms of detentions

detentions

noun

plural of detention

1

as in imprisonments

the state of being held in lawful custody

he's been in detention since the arrest

Synonyms & Similar Words

• imprisonments
• incarcerations
• captivities
• detainments
• internments
• detainers
• confinements
• arrests
• seizures
• apprehensions
• restraints
• holds
• immurements
• collars
• pinches
• entrapments
• captures
• arrestments
• busts
• enchainments

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• discharges
• releases
• freedoms
• liberations
• emancipations

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

• delays
• waits
• detainments
• holdups
• postponements
• pauses
• respites
• deferrals
• deferments
• holding patterns
• hesitations
• setbacks
• holdbacks
• lags
• slowdowns
• reprieves
• foot-draggings

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rushes
• dispatches
• hastes
• promptitudes

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of detentions

There has been backlash to the detentions, which come despite programs for military members that can sometimes offer immediate family protection from deportation. — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 24 Aug. 2026

At least six family members have been deported and one self-deported, the AP found in the first accounting of such detentions, which the government does not track. — ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026

According to Human Rights Watch, Taliban security forces responded with beatings, shots into the crowd, detentions of protesters, and the killing of at least one boy. — Rina Amiri, Foreign Affairs, 14 Aug. 2026

The task force has made 161 temporary detentions in national defense areas, the spokesperson said. — Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026

And while immigration authorities have largely halted their high-profile raids, ICE detentions have surged. — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2026

Long a tent-pole for Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s detention network, Georgia has remained in the spotlight as detentions have soared over the last 20 months. — Lautaro Grinspan, AJC.com, 4 Aug. 2026

His protests and hunger strikes were a source of frustration to officials and led to multiple detentions. — Patrick Oppmann, CNN Money, 17 July 2026

Iran did not immediately acknowledge the release, and her case was not publicly known, as sometimes happens with detentions in the Islamic Republic. — Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026