as in to distract
to draw the attention or mind to something else
numerous typos in the text detract the reader's attention from the novel's intricate plot
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Recent Examples of detract
That shouldn’t detract too much from what remain a hugely stylish, powerful little laptop that is ideally suited to business executives who want a device to slip into their hand luggage.
—
Barry Collins, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
Peas enrich the soil with nitrogen, benefitting turnips, while turnips detract aphids, which benefits peas.
—Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Oct. 2024
And remember, competition is anything that detracts people from your business.
—Michael Newman, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2024
In the first commercial for his shoe, Edwards pulls out signature models from rival brands and detracts them compared to his own.
—Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for detract
Barry Collins, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
Peas enrich the soil with nitrogen, benefitting turnips, while turnips detract aphids, which benefits peas.
—Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Oct. 2024
And remember, competition is anything that detracts people from your business.
—Michael Newman, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2024
In the first commercial for his shoe, Edwards pulls out signature models from rival brands and detracts them compared to his own.
—Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for detract
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detract
Verb
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But one way to distract and soothe your temperamental toddler might be through music.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
12 Sep. 2025
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Molina, who is fascinated by silver screen legend Ingrid Luna (Jennifer Lopez), distracts himself and Valentín with a recounting of his favorite film of hers — The Kiss of the Spider Woman.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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North was convicted in 1989 on three felony charges for helping to arrange the illicit sale of weapons to Iran and divert the proceeds to fund a secret war against anti-communist Contra rebels in Nicaragua.—
Josh Meyer,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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The hotel diverts little to no waste to landfills, thanks to an ORCA food-waste digester installed in 2018, and has phased in in-house water bottling and refillable bathroom dispensers to eliminate single-use plastics.—
Lauren Mowery,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Detract.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detract. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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