1
as in apprehends
to take or keep (someone) in confinement by authority of law
Police detained the suspect.
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2
as in delays
to keep (someone or something) from proceeding or progressing
She sent word that she had been unavoidably detained. The plane was detained for hours due to inclement weather.
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Recent Examples of detains
The Pinault family owns 42 percent of shares in Kering and detains 59 percent of voting rights.
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Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 9 Sep. 2025
The play is set in the real-life town of Lumpkin, whose economy has become reliant on a private prison that detains immigrants.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detains
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The Coast Guard stops the ships, apprehends those aboard and seizes the illicit drugs.—
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Suppose the number is read in one case out of a hundred, and that the information reaches someone who apprehends the culprit in one case out of one thousand.—
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Defenses applied the same concepts, too, emphasizing full-court pressure, which delays the opposing attack.—
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The order specifically delays a 30% duty on upholstered furniture and 50% levy on kitchen cabinets and vanities, keeping in place a 25% tariff on those goods that was imposed back in September.—
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Bascombe is the one who arrests Jamie Miller (Cooper) under suspicion of murder.—
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Police officer Hugo Crussi (Vogrincic) traces the voice to a young preacher, Jonas Flores (Zurita), and arrests him.—
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Oats also contain soluble fiber, which slows digestion and helps keep blood sugar levels steady.—
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Stop fertilizing during winter, when the plant's growth slows.—
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The slender but powerful book takes place over the course of a week, when Ma’s plans are suddenly imperiled while Boomba seizes the chance to make up for his past mistakes and help his family.—
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In the novel, Joan Goodwin, a physics professor with a lifelong love of the stars, seizes the chance to join NASA’s first class of women astronauts and soon finds friendship, passion, and purpose among her fellow trainees.—
Cite this Entry
“Detains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detains. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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