detected; detecting; detects
1
: to discover the true character of
detecting drug smugglers
2
: to discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
detect alcohol in the blood
Do I detect a note of sarcasm in your voice?
3
: to work as a detective
Synonyms
Examples of detect in a Sentence
The test is used to detect the presence of alcohol in the blood.
This type of cancer is difficult to detect in its early stages.
Recent Examples on the Web
Last year, a joint study in the U.K. and China found that two pervasive PFAS—called perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonate—were detected in over 99 percent of bottled water samples from 15 countries globally.
—
Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 6 Jan. 2025
There is no foolproof system that can accurately detect if an essay was written by a chatbot, but relying on generative AI too much can crush your admissions prospects anyway.
—Brad Tuttle, Hartford Courant, 6 Jan. 2025
Monitor metrics that matter: Use dashboards to track key indicators like the time to detect and respond to threats, helping to fine-tune your strategies.
—Andrew Hay, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
The strong gravitational magnification enabled astronomers to detect faint background sources and study their internal structures, which can lead to identifying individual stars in distant galaxies, according to the paper.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 6 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for detect 
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Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 6 Jan. 2025
There is no foolproof system that can accurately detect if an essay was written by a chatbot, but relying on generative AI too much can crush your admissions prospects anyway.
—Brad Tuttle, Hartford Courant, 6 Jan. 2025
Monitor metrics that matter: Use dashboards to track key indicators like the time to detect and respond to threats, helping to fine-tune your strategies.
—Andrew Hay, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
The strong gravitational magnification enabled astronomers to detect faint background sources and study their internal structures, which can lead to identifying individual stars in distant galaxies, according to the paper.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 6 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for detect
Dictionary Entries Near detect
Cite this Entry
“Detect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detect. Accessed 13 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
detect
verb
de·tect
di-ˈtekt 
: to discover the nature, existence, presence, or fact of
detect the approach of an airplane
detection
noun
-ˈtek-shən
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