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
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
This capability to detect deception should be a warning to everyone who relies on AI for critical thinking tasks.
—
Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Synchrotron light is vastly brighter than conventional sources, allowing the researchers to identify the molecule's vibrational signals, which are otherwise extremely hard to detect.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 31 Mar. 2025
More sensitive ways to detect amyloid and tau, another protein related to the disease, are possible by analyzing spinal fluid, but that requires a painful and potentially dangerous spinal tap.
—Alice Park, Time, 31 Mar. 2025
Only Border Patrol agents can arrest migrants entering the country illegally, but Stalnaker said that using military personnel to detect migrants has freed agents to spend more time in the field.
—Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detect
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Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Synchrotron light is vastly brighter than conventional sources, allowing the researchers to identify the molecule's vibrational signals, which are otherwise extremely hard to detect.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 31 Mar. 2025
More sensitive ways to detect amyloid and tau, another protein related to the disease, are possible by analyzing spinal fluid, but that requires a painful and potentially dangerous spinal tap.
—Alice Park, Time, 31 Mar. 2025
Only Border Patrol agents can arrest migrants entering the country illegally, but Stalnaker said that using military personnel to detect migrants has freed agents to spend more time in the field.
—Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detect
Cite this Entry
“Detect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detect. Accessed 8 Apr. 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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