as in distracted
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 detracted
For Loeffler, a 50-year-old father of three kids, those ever-expanding duties demanded too much time and detracted too much attention from the objects of his sports obsessions.
—
Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detracted
Verb
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They were seen by the clergy, for example, to be distracted by chocolate, drinking it and gossiping instead of paying attention to mass.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
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Yet, the brooms are out, and the cleanup has begun in earnest, creating a sense that NASCAR pushed away the off-track drama that has distracted the league.—
Jordan Bianchi,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Four small planes were diverted by the Air Force after breaching restricted airspace around the stadium, but the aircraft were never considered threats.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
4 Feb. 2026
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The revelation raised concerns about conflicts of interest in American foreign policy, especially given the scrutiny surrounding the US-UAE chip deal over worries the tech could be diverted to China.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Detracted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detracted. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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