detracts

present tense third-person singular of detract
as in distracts
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for detracts
Verb
  • 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
  • But Democratic leaders said the plan distracts from more urgent legislative priorities and is unlikely to move forward.
    Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • This invites empathy, diverts the conversation toward healing rather than fault-finding and helps both partners challenge the automatic assumption that blame is the only way to respond.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
  • That type of financing essentially diverts the growth in taxes that comes after redevelopment so it can be invested in ways that support the project.
    Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 9 Sep. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Detracts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detracts. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on detracts

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!