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
Asian needle ants were first detected in the U.S. almost a century ago, but the species has continued to expand its reach, primarily throughout the Southeast, and this pest could potentially be deadly to humans, according to Dan Suiter, a professor of urban entomology at the University of Georgia.
—
Stephen Smith, CBS News, 10 June 2025
The aphid was carried from Africa by the harmattan wind across the ocean to the Caribbean; it was detected in Florida’s sugarcane fields in the late nineteen-seventies and, in 2013, on sorghum crops farther north.
—Peter Slevin, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
Most autonomous vehicle companies use sensors such as radar and lidar to detect objects, for example, but Tesla relies solely on cameras.
—Chris Kirkham, USA Today, 7 June 2025
Often, pollen from plants can be detected in ancient rock even when fossils of leaves, flowers and other large parts are missing.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for detect
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Stephen Smith, CBS News, 10 June 2025
The aphid was carried from Africa by the harmattan wind across the ocean to the Caribbean; it was detected in Florida’s sugarcane fields in the late nineteen-seventies and, in 2013, on sorghum crops farther north.
—Peter Slevin, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
Most autonomous vehicle companies use sensors such as radar and lidar to detect objects, for example, but Tesla relies solely on cameras.
—Chris Kirkham, USA Today, 7 June 2025
Often, pollen from plants can be detected in ancient rock even when fossils of leaves, flowers and other large parts are missing.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 June 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 25 Jun. 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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