detracts

verb

present tense third-person singular of detract
as in distracts
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

Relevance

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 detracts If the expansion detracts somehow from the SARA cult fever, the co-owners are OK with that. — Senior Wine Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 June 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detracts
  1. distracts
  2. diverts
Verb
  • Similarly, Sudan hopes that internal conflict in Ethiopia distracts Addis from its support of the rapid support forces militia in Sudan’s war.
    — Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
  • If a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars, the art inside an airport that reminds us of our humanity and distracts us from our fatigue is an object worthy of praise.
    — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of distracts
Verb
  • Prop 137 diverts money from the state's current sales tax on sporting goods to conservation, wildfire risk mitigation and outdoor recreation programs.
    — Shaun Boyd, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Providing false or misleading information to law enforcement undermines those efforts and unnecessarily diverts officers and resources away from members of our community who may need immediate police assistance.
    — Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of diverts

Browse Nearby Words

detractors
detracts
detrain
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Detracts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detracts. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of vocation

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All