1
as in imprisonment
the state of being held in lawful custody
he's been in detention since the arrest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in delay
an instance or period of being prevented from going about one's business
the detention at the airport security checkpoint was brief, but because he was running late, it caused him to miss his flight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of detention
His legacy—and that of the CIA in South Africa—is written in surveillance files, detention cells, and mass graves.
—
Time, 22 May 2025
The original policy sought to restrict ICE enforcement in sensitive locations, including courtrooms, to ensure that individuals could access vital services without fear of detention.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 May 2025
More than 230 Venezuelans were deported to El Salvador following a wave of detentions and executive orders on immigration announced by President Donald Trump in the early days of his administration.
—Juan Carlos Chavez, Sun Sentinel, 21 May 2025
Federal judges have ordered some students released from detention and raised concerns that their arrests violated the constitution.
—Adrian Florido, NPR, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for detention
Time, 22 May 2025
The original policy sought to restrict ICE enforcement in sensitive locations, including courtrooms, to ensure that individuals could access vital services without fear of detention.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 May 2025
More than 230 Venezuelans were deported to El Salvador following a wave of detentions and executive orders on immigration announced by President Donald Trump in the early days of his administration.
—Juan Carlos Chavez, Sun Sentinel, 21 May 2025
Federal judges have ordered some students released from detention and raised concerns that their arrests violated the constitution.
—Adrian Florido, NPR, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for detention
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detention
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
-
Poverty is a pretext for surveillance, over-policing and incarceration.—
Rod Adams,
Essence,
25 May 2025
-
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
Noun
-
In healthcare, Canadian hospitals are experiencing record wait times.—
Andy J. Semotiuk,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Detention.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detention. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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