as in to distract
to draw the attention or mind to something else
numerous typos in the text detract the reader's attention from the novel's intricate plot
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Recent Examples of detract
The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract.
—
Kary Love, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025
That shouldn’t detract too much from what remain a hugely stylish, powerful little laptop that is ideally suited to business executives who want a device to slip into their hand luggage.
—Barry Collins, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
Peas enrich the soil with nitrogen, benefitting turnips, while turnips detract aphids, which benefits peas.
—Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Oct. 2024
And remember, competition is anything that detracts people from your business.
—Michael Newman, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for detract
Kary Love, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025
That shouldn’t detract too much from what remain a hugely stylish, powerful little laptop that is ideally suited to business executives who want a device to slip into their hand luggage.
—Barry Collins, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
Peas enrich the soil with nitrogen, benefitting turnips, while turnips detract aphids, which benefits peas.
—Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Oct. 2024
And remember, competition is anything that detracts people from your business.
—Michael Newman, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for detract
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detract
Verb
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Sending in the National Guard was an obvious military flex, designed to to bait Angelenos while perhaps distracting Americans from Trump’s far greater troubles.—
Mary McNamara,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
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The upshot is, an ADAS, such as Tesla FSD and robotaxi, does not get distracted and is laser-focused on the road.—
Brooke Crothers,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
Verb
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However, some flights from Catania have been diverted to Palermo, according to Flight Radar Data.—
Barbie Latza Nadeau,
CNN Money,
2 June 2025
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All southbound Interstate 5 traffic was diverted off the freeway onto Camino de la Plaza, creating a detour on San Ysidro streets, Caltrans said on the social media platform X shortly before noon.—
Karen Kucher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Detract.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detract. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.
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