1
as in delay
an instance or period of being prevented from going about one's business
the returning vacationers' detainment at the border only lasted a few minutes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in detention
the state of being held in lawful custody
she'll be kept in detainment until the trial if she can't post bail
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detainment
Noun
-
Nola’s delay Two days ago, Aaron Nola tested his sprained right ankle for the first time since going on the injured list May 16.—
Matt Gelb,
New York Times,
26 May 2025 -
The game was supposed to start at 5 p.m., but heavy rains moved into the area just before gametime, drenching the fields and causing the delay.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 May 2025
Noun
-
He was scheduled to appear at a detention hearing Saturday.—
Deanese Williams-Harris,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2025
-
During his first court appearance on Thursday, Rodriguez waived his right to a detention hearing, and a preliminary hearing for the case was set for June 18, per Reuters.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
People.com,
23 May 2025
Noun
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Additionally, average call wait times have risen from just over an hour to 86 minutes this year, reaching a peak of 112 minutes in January following the passage of the Social Security Fairness Act.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 May 2025
-
In healthcare, Canadian hospitals are experiencing record wait times.—
Andy J. Semotiuk,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
Noun
-
Poverty is a pretext for surveillance, over-policing and incarceration.—
Rod Adams,
Essence,
25 May 2025
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Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Warren said Friday that the maximum sentence for wire fraud is 20 years of incarceration, a $250,000 fine and three years on supervised release.—
Ryan Oehrli,
Charlotte Observer,
23 May 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Detainment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detainment. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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