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
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.
Recent Examples of detention
Abrego Garcia was then transferred to a detention facility in Texas, his wife said, and then placed on the flight to El Salvador on March 15.
—
Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2025
Alternatives to detention, such as ankle monitors and regular check-ins with ICE, can also be used.
—Alyson Hurt, NPR, 7 Apr. 2025
The school’s president, Edward Inch, said the school found out after running a database check of international student statuses after the detention of a Turkish student at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis over a drunken driving conviction.
—Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 6 Apr. 2025
And a Russian biomedical researcher at Harvard University who was detained coming back from France and has been in the infamous detention facility in Louisiana for over a month.
—M. Gessen, Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detention
Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2025
Alternatives to detention, such as ankle monitors and regular check-ins with ICE, can also be used.
—Alyson Hurt, NPR, 7 Apr. 2025
The school’s president, Edward Inch, said the school found out after running a database check of international student statuses after the detention of a Turkish student at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis over a drunken driving conviction.
—Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 6 Apr. 2025
And a Russian biomedical researcher at Harvard University who was detained coming back from France and has been in the infamous detention facility in Louisiana for over a month.
—M. Gessen, Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detention
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detention
Noun
-
This is critical because Samsung was falling behind in security updates just as the Android world obsesses about its delays on Android OS upgrades as well.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
-
Its Facebook account shows several shipping delays over the past year due to mechanical failures.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Even more experience abuse leading up to their incarceration.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
3 Apr. 2025
-
The gang started as an organizing structure for men imprisoned during a period of mass incarceration that began under former President Hugo Chavez, Hanson told USA TODAY.—
Will Carless,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
From there, the wait begins — standard processing can take anywhere from three to six months, sometimes more.—
Alex Ashley,
Rolling Stone,
9 Apr. 2025
-
The wait is over: Netflix’s long-running dark satirical anthology series, Black Mirror, officially returns on April 10.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Detention.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detention. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share