as in distracting
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 detracting
An expansion into New Mexico would add oil revenue from the Permian Basin to Texas, adding to its economy and detracting, in turn, from New Mexico's.
—
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Some asserted that the commitment and costs of traveling and attending meetings paired with the limited compensation was detracting members of the public from running for office.
—
Luis Melecio-Zambrano,
Mercury News,
19 Sep. 2025
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Some asserted that the commitment and costs of traveling and attending meetings paired with the limited compensation was detracting members of the public from running for office.
—
Luis Melecio-Zambrano,
Mercury News,
19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detracting
Verb
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However, there was a distracting graphical issue where characters and objects would get weird glowy or black artifacts around the edges in close-up shots during battles and cutscenes.
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People attending the trial would also be prohibited from reacting, gesturing, wearing distracting clothing, or otherwise disrupting proceedings.
Verb
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In a social media post Saturday afternoon, the Kansas City Police Department wrote that bags that don’t meet the event’s clear bag policy were diverting law enforcement resources, as those bags have to be thoroughly inspected.
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The California Highway Patrol temporarily shut down all westbound lanes of the freeway, diverting traffic onto Irwindale Avenue, before opening up one lane.
Cite this Entry
“Detracting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detracting. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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