as in to divert
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
Even the prospect of another low-scoring Niners-Seahawks slugfest shouldn’t detract greatly from that NFC West rivalry, while the Rams-Bears capper has the potential to set the ratings dials on fire.
—
Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Some asserted that the commitment and costs of traveling and attending meetings paired with the limited compensation was detracting members of the public from running for office.
—Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 19 Sep. 2025
For Loeffler, a 50-year-old father of three kids, those ever-expanding duties demanded too much time and detracted too much attention from the objects of his sports obsessions.
—Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
If the expansion detracts somehow from the SARA cult fever, the co-owners are OK with that.
—Senior Wine Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 June 2017
See All Example Sentences for detract
Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Some asserted that the commitment and costs of traveling and attending meetings paired with the limited compensation was detracting members of the public from running for office.
—Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 19 Sep. 2025
For Loeffler, a 50-year-old father of three kids, those ever-expanding duties demanded too much time and detracted too much attention from the objects of his sports obsessions.
—Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
If the expansion detracts somehow from the SARA cult fever, the co-owners are OK with that.
—Senior Wine Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 June 2017
See All Example Sentences for detract
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detract
Verb
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Data centers have sparked backlash from communities across the state that are worried about higher utility bills, strained power grids and water being diverted away from families to cool servers at massive data centers.—
Brendan Steinhauser,
Sun Sentinel,
1 Apr. 2026
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The flight crew initiated bomb threat protocol after hearing the threat and diverted the plane to Detroit Metro Airport, where it was isolated for a full security check, according to an FBI affidavit filed with the complaint.—
Eric Henderson,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But a number of architects and preservation groups provided their opinions of the 90,000 square foot project, generally characterizing it as way out of scale with the Executive Residence, the main part of the White House, while throwing off the symmetry of the grounds.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2026
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But state lawmakers estimate a quarter to half of current enrollees — as many as 40,000 people — would be thrown off the Medicaid expansion under the requirements in House Bill 913 and forced to find coverage another way, or go without.—
Kevin Fixler,
Idaho Statesman,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Detract.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detract. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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