detracted

verb

past tense of detract
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of detracted To center Jack instead, however, might have detracted too much from his role as an object of warped desire within the house. — David Opie, IndieWire, 15 Feb. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detracted
  1. distracted
  2. diverted
Verb
  • You’re not distracted by the clients waiting behind you or the sense that someone is watching and waiting for your chair to open up.
    — Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
  • If it is blocked, both studios could emerge from the litigation having spent a year distracted and constrained while the rest of the industry moved forward.
    — Cory Jacobson, HollywoodReporter, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of distracted
Verb
  • But the focus on fees and expenses also diverted the attention of investors.
    — Bob Carlson, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Some critics saw them as little more than a handout that diverted resources from more pressing needs such as healthcare and education.
    — Stacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of diverted

Browse Nearby Words

detract
detracted
detracting
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Cite this Entry

“Detracted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detracted. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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